
Glass r_A^ 

Book.— 



Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper .No. 88 Series M, General Hydrographic Investigations, 6 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

CHARLES D. WALCOTT, Director 



THE PASSAIC FLOOD OF 1902 



BY 



GEORGE BUELL HOLLISTER 

AND 

MARSHALL ORA LEIGHTON 




WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
1903 



PUBLICATIONS 0? UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 

The publication*.. f the United states Geological Survey consist of (I) Annual Reports: (2) 
Monographs; (8) Professiona] Papers; » 4 * Bulletins; (5) Mineral Resources; (6) Water-Supply 
and Irrigation Papers; (7) Topographic At!:is ..t' the United States, folios and separate iilmulu 
then agio Atlas of United states, folios thereof. The classes numbered 8, 7, and 8 

are Bold at c..*t of publication: the othei Suted free. A circular giving complete lists 

may Yx> liad on application. 

The Bulletins, Professional Papers, and "Water-Supply P ap ers treat of a variety of subjects, 
and the total number Issued is large. They have therefore been classified into the following 
-: A, Economic geology; B, Descriptive geology; C, Systematic geology and paleontology; 
D, Petrography and mineralogy: K, Chemistry and physics; F, Geography; G, Miscellaneous; 
H. Forestry; I. Irrigation: J.Waterstorage; K, Pumping water; L, Quality of water: M, General 
hydrographio investigations: X. Water power; O, Underground waters; P, Hydrographie 
progress reports. Complete lists of series I to P follow. t.WS=Water-Supply Paper; B— Bulle- 
tin; PP^ Professional Paper. ) 

SERIES T IRRIGATION. 

WS _*. Irrigation near Thoenix, Ariz.. by A. P. Davis. 1897; 98 pp.. ."?1 pis. and maps. 
W8 •">. Irrigation practice on the Great Plains, by K. B. Cowgill. 1S'»7. 89 pp., 11 pis. 
ws 9. Irrigation near Greeley, Colo., by David Boyd. 1897. 90pp., 81 pis. 

WS In. Irrigation in Mesilla Valley. New Mexico, by F. C. Barker. 1898. ">1 pp., 11 pis. 
WS13. Irrigation systems in Texas, by W. F. Hutson. 1896, 68 pp., in pis. 
WS 17. Irrigation near Bakersfleld, Cal.. by 0. E. Grunsky. 1898. 9t> pp., 1(1 pis. 

Irrigation near Fresno, Cal, l>y C. E. Grunsky. 1896. 94 pp., H pis. 
WS pt. irrigation near Merced, Cal., by C. E. Grunsky. 1899. B6 pp., 11 pis. 
WS83. Water-right problems of Bighorn Mountains, " ,- Elwood Mead. 1M>9. 68pp., 7 pis. 
WS 88. Water r es ources of Port.. Rico, by II. M. Wilson. 1899. 48 pp., 17 pis. and maps. 
WB4& Conveyance of water in irrigation canals, flumes, and pipes, by Samuel Fortier. 19QL 

86 pp., IS pis. 
WS 70. Geology and water resources of the Patrick and Gosnen Hole quadrangles, Wyoming, 

by G.I. Adams. 1908. 50 pp.. 11 pis. 

Ws;i. Irrigation systems of Texas, by T. U. Taylor. 1902. 187 pp., 9pls. 

WS 74. Water resources of the State of Colorado, by A. L. Fellows. 1908. 151 pp., 1 1 pis. 

The following papers also relate especially to irrigation; Irrigation in India, by H. M. Wilson, 
in Twelfth Annual, Part II; two papers on irrigation engineering, by H. M. Wilson, in Thir- 
teenth Annual, Part III. 

Skiuks J— Water Storage. 

WS 38. Storage of water on Gila River, Arizona, by J. B. Lippincott. 1900. 98 pp., ffi pis. 

WS40. The Austin dam, by Thomas U.Taylor. 1900. 51 pp., lti pis. 

WS I.'.. Water storage on Cache Creek, California, by A. E. Chandler. 1901. 48 pp., 10 pis. 

WS 4tt. Physical characteristics of Kern River. California, by F. H. Olmsted, and Reconnaissance 

of Yuba River, California, by Marsden Manson. 1901. ;">7 pp., 8 pis. 
WS .Vs. storage t>f water on Kings River. California, by J. B. Lippincott. 1908. UK) pp., 82 pis. 
WS 68. Water storage in Truckee Basin. California-Nevada, by L.H. Taylor. 1902. 90 pp., 8 pis. 
WS73. Water storage on Salt River, Arizona, by A. P. Davis. 1908. 64 pp., 26 pis, 
WS86. Storage reservoirs of Stony Creek, California, by Burt CoK 1908. 68 pp.. 16 pis. 

The following paper also should he noted under this heading: Reservoirs for irrigation, by 
J. D. Schuyler, in Eighteenth Annual, Part rv. 

Series K— Pumping Water. 

WS 1. Pumping water for irrigation, by Herbert M. Wilson. 1896. r>7 pp., 9 pis. 

Windmills for irrigation, by E. C. Murphy. 1897. 49 pp., 8 pis. 
WS 14. Tests of pumps and water lifts used in irrigation, by O. P. Hood. 1896. 91 pp., 1 pi. 
WS 80. Experiments with windmills, by T. O. Perry. 1899. 97 pp., 18 pis. 
WS29. Wells and windmills in Nebraska, by E. H. Barbour. 1S99. 85 pp., 87 pis. 
WS 41. The windmill; its efficiency and economic use, Part I, by E. C. Murphv. 1901. 72 pp., 

14 pis. 
WS 42. The windmill, Part II (.continuation of No. 41V 1901. 7:M47 pp., 16-16 pis. 

Series L— Quality o» Water. 

WS 8. Sewage irrigation, by G. W. Rafter. 1897. 100 pp., 4 pis. 

WS82. Sewage irrigation, Part II. by G. W. Rafter. 1899. 100 pp., 7 pis. 

WS 78, Sewage pollution in the metropolitan area near New York City and its effects on inland 

water resources, by M. O. Leighton. 1902, 75 pp., 8 pis. 
WS 7(i. Observations on the flow of rivers in the vicinity of New York City, by H. A. Pressey. 

1903. 108 pp., 18 pis. 
WS 79. Normal and polluted waters in northeastern United States, by M. O. Leighton. 1903. 

182 pp. 

(Continued on third page of cover.) 
IRR 88—3 



Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 88 Series M, General Hydrographic Investigations, 6 

DEPARTMENT OF THE LNTERIOB 

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

CHARLES 1>. WALCOTT, DiRECTOB 



THE PASSAIC FLOOD OF 1902 



BY 



GEORGE BUELL HOLLLSTER 



MARSHALL ORA LEIGHTON 




WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1 9 03 



fH 



H? 



JAN 19 1904 
D.ofD, 



CONTENTS 



P:iU r '- 

Introduction 9 

Description of Passaic Basin . 9 

The Highland area 10 

The central basin 11 

The lower valley - 13 

Tributaries of the Passaic River 1") 

Saddle River 15 

Raniapo River 15 

Wanaque River 16 

Pequanac River 16 

Rockaway River 17 

Whippany River . 17 

Upper Passaic River 17 

Summary '. 18 

Flow of Passaic River 19 

The flood of 1902 30 

Precipitation in the Passaic Valley 31 

Gage heights : 34 

Flood flow of Highland tributaries . . 36 

Flood flow at Little Falls 39 

General flood-flow statistics in Highland tributaries 41 

Submerged lands in central basin 42 

Flood flow at Dundee dam 43 

Flood below Dundee dam 44 

Flood discharge of Saddle River 45 

High- water marks in lower valley 46 

Losses caused by the flood 48 

Comparison with previous floods 51 

Summary , 52 

Conclusions 53 

3 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Papc. 
Plate I. .1, Railroad bridge.it Passaic Bridge: B, Passaic Falls at Paterson 

showing gorge 9 

II. Drainage area of Passaic River 10 

III. Part of flooded area in central basin near Fairfield 12 

IV . .4 , Dam at Little Falls ; B , Passaic Falls at Paterson 16 

i V. A, Little Falls gorge at low water; B, Little Falls gorge at high 

water 20 

VI. A, Falls. Pompton Lake; B, Little Falls gorge, looking nnder 

Morris Canal viaduct, high water 24 

VII. -4, Rockaway River at Boonton; B, Dam at Dundee _ _ _ . 30 

VIII. -4. Measurement station at Stanley on Passaic River; B, Measure- 
ment station at Whippany on Whippany River 31 

IX. .4, Measurement station on Rockaway River near Boonton; B, 

Macopin dam 38 

X. .4, Gaging station No. 1, on Wanaqne River at Pompton; B, 

Gaging station No. 2, on Wanaqne River at Pompton 42 

XI. Map of flooded area in central basin In pocket. 

XII. .4. Dam on Peqnanac near Pompton; B, Submerged flat lands 

at Singac 44 

XIII. A, Flooded area on Great Pierce Meadows; B, Flood at Two 

Bridges 46 

XIV. A, Flooded farmhouse in central basin; B, Flooded farm lands in 

central basin 48 

XV. A, Wallington during the flood; B, Failure of bridge at Passaic. !">() 

Fiu. 1. Cross sections of Passaic Valley from Clifton to Newark 11 

2. Profile of Passaic River and tributaries IS 

3. Discharge of Passaic River at Two Bridges, 1902 . 28 

4. Discharge of Pompton River at Two Bridges, 1902 . _ . . _ 29 

5. Gage readings of Little Falls and Dnndee dam . . 35 

6. Plan of Beattie"s dam , Little Falls 36 

7. Flow curves at Little Falls 40 

8. Discharge curves at Little Falls and Highland tributaries 40 

9. Flood curve. Dundee dam 42 

1(1. ( \ miparative flow curves, Dundee dam and Little Falls 43 

1 1 . Profile of flood crest, Passaic to Belleville. 47 

5 



1, E T T E R F T R A N S M I T T A I . 



Department op the Interior, 
United States Geological Survey, 

Division of Hydrography, 
Washington, D. C, March 30, 190S. 
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith a manuscript by George 
B. Hollister and Marshall O. Leighton, relating to a serious flood in 
the Passaic River basin in northern New Jersey in February and 
March, 1902, and recommend its publication in the series of Water- 
Supply and Irrigation Papers. 

The region affected by the flood, although a limited area, contains, 
approximately, one-third of the population of the entire State. Owing 
to its proximity to the city of New York and to its natural advantages of 
tide-water frontage and water powers, it contains not only many attract - 
ive residential suburbs, but also important commercial and manufac- 
turing centers. The vested capital and community interests are large, 
and it is therefore desirable that the occurrence and progress of 
great floods in the drainage area be thoroughly understood. This 
investigation into the most disastrous flood ever known in the Passaic 
Valley is of timely interest to all classes of citizens dwelling on low- 
lands subject to floods. 

Very respectfully, F. H. Newell, 

Hydrographt r. 
Hon. Charles!). Walcott, 

Director, United States Geological Survey. 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 88 PL. I 




A. RAILROAD BRIDGE AT PASSAIC BRIDGE. 




B. PASSAIC FALLS AT PATERSON. 



THE PASSAIC FLOOD OF 1902. 



By <t. B. IIollister and M. (). Leighton. 



INTR( )I)ITCTION. 

Late in February and early in March, 1902, there occured upon the 
drainage basin of the Passaic River in northeastern New Jersey the 
most disastrous flood in the history of the region. Not only was the 
discharge the largest recorded, but the flood was the most destructive 
to life and property in the settlements ever known along the valley. 

In the following pages it is proposed to outline the history of this 
flood, describe the conditions under which it occurred, give the esti- 
mated volume of its discharge, and indicate as well as possible the 
nature and extent of the damage resulting from it. 

The data and information embodied in the following report were 
obtained by personal observation while the flood was in progress and 
after it had subsided and from various water companies, manufactur- 
ers, and residents of the flooded areas. Acknowledgments are espe- 
cially due to Mr. J. II. Cook, of Paterson, engineer for the Society for 
the Establishment of Useful Manufactures; to Mr. M. R. Sherred, 
engineer of the water department of the Newark board of public 
works; to Mr. R. M. Watson, of Wise <fc Watson, engineers of Pas- 
saie; to Mr. ('. C. Yermeule, from whose valuable report on the water 
supply of New Jersey much data have been taken regarding the 
physical condition of the watersheds, and to others whose help or 
suggestions have been of value. 

As the region under discussion, though comparatively restricted, is 
an important one owing to its dense population and rapidly increas- 
ing industrial development, and as the physical and physiographic 
conditions governing high-water stages on the Passaic watershed are 
peculiar, it is deemed necessary for a full understanding of the present 
flood to describe briefly their most important features. 

DESCRIPTION OF PASSAIC BASIN. 

The Passaic River is the mosf important stream in the State of New 
Jersey, lis drainage basin covers 040.1 square miles, about SIS of 
which are in the northeastern portion of the State of New Jersey, while 

9 



10 THE PASSAIC KI.ool) OF 1902. [no.88. 

132 are in the Stale of New York. On or Dear its banks are located 
the cities of Paterson, Passaic, Newark, Orange, East Orange, and 
Jersey City, the population of which combined with that of adjacent 
towns and boroughs equals over 500,000, or about one-third the popu- 
lation of the State of New Jersey. The quantity of sewage discharged 
from this district, with its great population, centered in the lower 
part of the drainage area, is extraordinary, and the industries carried 
on in the different communities contribute enormous amounts of 
manfacturing refuse, all of which is turned into the stream. The 
results of this wholesale deposit of tilth are that for the last 20 miles 
of its course the river presents one of the most aggravated cases of 
pollution to be found in the United States." 

The water powers of the Passaic were among the first used in the 
country. The Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures was 
formed in L791, for the purpose of developing the large power existing 
at the Great Ealls of the Passaic in the city of Paterson (PI. I, B). 
Other powers of less extent are found and improved at Pompton, 
Boonton, Little Falls, Dundee, and elsewhere on the drainage area. 

The water of the river is, however, of greatest value for munic- 
ipal supply. It is already largely used for this purpose, and the 
demands of a rapidly growing population in the cities of northern 
New Jersey require that a proportionately greater amount shall be 
set aside from year to year. 

The drainage area, as seen from PI. II, falls naturally into three 
broad topographic divisions, viz, the Highland area, the central basin, 
and the lower valley. 

THE HIGHLAND AREA. 

The Highland area is the main gathering ground of the tributaries, 
whose united catchment basins cover 510 square miles or 53 per cent 
of the entire drainage area. It is a mountainous region composed of 
granitic and crytalline rocks which extend in a belt running north- 
easterly through northern New Jersey into New York State, with a 
width in New Jersey of from 15 to 20 miles. The region has a gen- 
eral altitude of from 1,000 to 1,500 feet above sea level, and represents 
the remnant- of an old and much dissected plateau. Owing to intense 
metamorphism and folding of the rocks and to subsequent erosion, 
the highlands lie in ridges which follow a generally northeast-south- 
west trend. These ridges are transversely trenched by the the main 
arteries of the tributaries in steep-sided valleys whose bottoms lie 
from :]()() to 600 feet below the crests. The most- important tributaries 
which occupy this region are the Ramapo, Wanaque, Pequanac, 
Rockaway, Whippany, and a small portion of the upper waters of the 
Passaic propel*. Upon it are also a number of lakes and artificial 
reservoirs, the latter built by water companies, which afford consider- 
able storage. 



"Sec Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. ~:i. 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 88 PL. II 




DRAINAGE AREA OF PASSAIC RIVER. 



H °* L leighton!] the CENTRAL BASIN. 11 

Much of the area has a covering of glacial drift, which is thick in 
some localities. In the southern portion, closely following the gorge 
of the Rockaway River, the terminal moraine of the great continental 
glacier crosses the Highland area. 

The Highlands are of little value for farming purposes, except in 
the portion composed of Paleozoic rocks (see PL II). Their rugged 
topography, their thin soil, and the prevalence of large glacial bowl- 
ders, which in places literally cover the surface, are discouragements 
too great to be overcome, and the region has thus of necessity been 
left in forest. This lack of agricultural development is doubtless 
also due to the fact that large tracts are controlled by individuals 
and corporations looking toward the development of the extensive 
iron-ore deposits which are present in the region. 

From the hydrograpliic standpoint the presence of forests is of much 
value, as the Highland tributaries are all clear-flowing streams with 
a minimum of sediment as contrasted with tlie more turbid waters of 
the main stream. 

The percentage of forests over the Highland region varies, being 
greatest north of the terminal moraine, where it ranges from 75 to 90 
per cent. South of the moraine the territory is well cultivated, and 
the forests occupy 30 per cent of the area. 

Owing to the general rugged nature of the region and the thin soil, 
the population amounts to only 64 to the square mile, and is largely 
concentrated in a few towns, the most important of which are Boon- 
ton, Dover, Rockaway, Butler, Bloomingdale, and Newfoundland; 
the remainder of the area is practically unsettled. 

THE CENTRAL BASIN. 

Adjoining the Highlands on the southeast lies the cent ral basin, a 
marked depression 8 to 12 miles wide and 32 miles long, bounded on 
the west by the easterly escarpment of the Highlands, which rise in 
bold relief about 700 feet from the floor of the basin, and on the north- 
east, and south by the crescent-shaped and concentric ridges of the 
Watchung or Orange Mountains, which rise with almost equal bold- 
ness, but to an altitude somewhat less. Geologically the floor of the 
basin is composed of Triassic sandstones and shales, which are much 
softer than the hard rocks of the surrounding crystalline Highlands 
and the trap ridges of the Watchung Mountains. A few small trap 
ridges ;fre found within the basin. PL II shows the general relations 
of these rocks. 

Through processes of erosion several hundred feet of the Triassic 
sandstones have been washed away in this area, so that in general the 
floor now stands at an elevation of about 180 feet above tide water. 

An important feature of the central basin is the large area occupied 
by marsh or wet lands, which are easily Hooded even in moderate rises 
of the stream, and which become widely submerged in extraordinary 



12 THE PASSAIC FLOOD OF 1902. [no.88. 

floods. Their extent is 29,308 acres, or 17 per cent of the area of the 
basin. The distribution of the wet hinds is as follows: 

Wet lands in Passaic Basin. 

Acres. 

On Passaic River above Chatham 14, 754 

On Passaic River from Chatham to Two Bridges, including Whippany and 

Rockaway 12, 851 

On Pompton River above Two Bridges 1 , 140 

On Passaic River from Little Falls to Two Bridges 563 

Total above Little Falls 29, 308 

It has been satisfactorily demonstrated that during and for an 
indefinite period after the Glacial epoch the basin was occupied by a 
large body of water, approximately 200 square miles in extent, which 
has been geologically designated as "Lake Passaic." 6 Extensive 
morainal deposits at the outlet of the basin near Little Falls and 
Paterson, with the possible assistance of masses of ice, formed the 
barrier which kept the waters of the lake in place. Evidence of this 
phase of the region's history is found in the widespread lacustrine 
deposits, which are responsible for the remarkable flatness of the sur- 
face over the northern half of the basin, the striking contrast of which 
to the surrounding mountains has already been mentioned. Further 
evidences of the Glacial lake stage are also found in the great marshes 
which have remained to the present day. PL III, taken from Second 
Mountain at Singac, looking north to west, shows the portion of the 
wet lands in the middle part of the central basin ; it also shows the 
central section of the valley formerly occupied by Lake Passaic. 

The Passaic River proper passes through this basin, entering it as 
a small stream in the southwestern portion and flowing generally 
northward in a meandering course until it crosses the barrier of 
Second Mountain at Little Falls, and First Mountain a few miles 
farther north, at Great Falls, Paterson. The drop in the first instance 
is about 40 feet, and in the second 70 feet. (See PL IV, ^4 and B.) 

Into this central basin the principal tributaries, with one exception, 
discharge their waters, and as the gradients of all of them are steep, 
after heavy rains they quickly pour into the flat area such a volume 
of water that it is unable to pass the outlet at Little Falls, and for 
days and even weeks large j)<>rtions of the wet lands remain under 
water. 

The terminal moraine of the great glacier, which was noticed in the 
Highland area, is also found in this portion of the watershed, which 
it crosses in a line of low and much confused hills extending from 
Summit to Morristown. 

The central basin is an agricultural country with relatively large 
centers of population, the most important being Morristown, Summit, 

" Final Report New Jersey Geological Survey, Vol. III. 

6 Kiimmel, Report of the State Geologist of New Jersey, 1893. 



HOLMSTER A 

LEIGHTON 



f N D ] THE LOWER VALLEY. 13 



Chatham, Madison, Morris Plains, Pompton, and Whippany. The 
population is L20 to the square mile, and 29 per cent of the area is in 
fores). The East Jersey Water Company maintains a pumping station 
at Little Falls, from which point approximately 63, 000, 000 gallons of 
water per day are taken. 

The physiographic features most affecting the hydrography of this 
portion of the watershed are, first, the narrow gorge of the river at 
Little Falls, which quickly becomes congested in limes of flood (PI. 
V, A and B), and, second, the large expanse of the wet lands and 
of the level-lying valley floor, which are easily submerged when the 
congestion at Little Falls takes plaee (PI. III). 

Although the frequent flooding in the central basin works consider- 
able hardship and even loss to the farming class there located, it is 
nevertheless, a feature which has a beneficial effect upon the lower 
section of the valley beyond Paterson, as it provides natural storage 
for accumulated waters and prevents widespread floods in the thickly 
inhabited manufacturing and suburban districts in the lower valley. 

THE LOWER VALLEY. 

After leaving the short series of rapids, falls, and quiet stretches 
from Little Falls to Paterson, the river enters the lower valley through 
which it flows to its mouth at Newark Bay. The drainage area of this 
section to Little Falls is 178 square miles, the main stream being 29.1 
miles long. Nine and one-quarter miles below Paterson it receives 
its only important tributary in the lower valley, viz, Saddle River, 
which has a drainage area of 60.7 square miles. Just above the 
mouth of this stream, at Dundee, the waters of the river are held by a 
dam 450 feet long, whose crest is 27 feet above mean tide. For 4 
miles below this dam the river has a total drop of G feet to Passaic, 
from which point 134; miles to Newark Bay it is a narrow tidal 
estuary. 

The right bank of the river at Passaic is a low bench and it is 
flooded in times of very high water. A large portion of the manu- 
facturing section of the city of Passaic is located here, and most of the 
injury sustained by the 1902 flood was caused by the destruction of 
merchandise on the lower floors of the factories and warehouses. On 
the left bank of the stream, opposite the city of Passaic, is another 
low-lying area, forming a basin which was evidently occupied by the 
stream in earlier stages. The general level of this area lies but a few 
feet above tide water, and is likewise subject to overflow. It is the 
site of the borough of Wellington, a residence district. About mid- 
way in its extent from north to south this flat is crossed by the main 
line of the Erie Railroad on an embankment of gravel and other mate- 
rial. The embankment ends at the left bank of the river. 

One of the important features of the lower valley is its great popu- 



14 



THE PASSAIC FLOOD OF 1902. 



[no. 88. 



1 ; i f ion, which lias been concentrated there by reason of the natural 
advantages of its water front on the lower Passaic, the powers at 
Paterson and Passaic, and the proximity to New York City. In 
the districts which has an area of about 60 square miles, there are 
over forty cities, towns, and boroughs, representing a combined popu- 
lation of about 4,200 per square mile. Municipal improvements which 
accompany the growth of population influence the drainage of the 
area to sonic extent, by reason of the construction of large areas of 
paved and macadamized roads which constitute "quick spilling" 
surfaces. 



y e mi/e- 




3/^m/Ve 




/5/gm//es 




Z'/^m/'/es- 




Vertical scale 



100ft. 



Fig. 1.— Cross sections of Passaic Valley from Clifton to Newark. 1. At Clifton. 2. At 
Delawanna, 5£ miles below Clifton. 3. At North Newark, 10} miles below Clifton. 4. At New- 
wark, 111 miles below Clifton. 

A striking feature of the lower course of the river, which especially 
affects it in times of Hood, is found in its physiographic relations. 
From Paterson to Passaic the stream flows in a wide open "old val- 
ley;" but from Passaic to its mouth, contrary to usual conditions, 
its valley assumes more and more the aspect of younger topography, 
until when near its mouth, just above Newark, it follows a narrow 
canyon-shaped opening whose sides, especially on the eastern bank, 
are precipitous. Attention in this connection is called to the several 
profiles in fig. 1, made at different points from Clifton and Newark, 
and to the accompanying table of widths at the 100-foot contour from 
which the cramping of the valley is readily appreciated. 

Physiographic phenomena in the neighborhood of Passaic and 
Rutherford, together with the striking aspect of the lower valley, 



HOLLTSTER A 

LEIGHTCH 



^ N " | TRIBUTARIES OF PASSAIC RIVER. 15 



seem tn indicate thai- in pre-Glacial times the stream discharged its 
waters through the gap in the low sandstone ridge a1 Rutherford now 
occupied by the Erie Railroad, and that the lower valley, from New- 
ark to Passaic, drained northward through a small tributary which 
joined the main stream at Rutherford, but owing to the obstruction 
of the river by extensive glacial filling across its bed in the notch at 
Rutherford, it was forced to seek a new outlet through the valley of 
a tributary meeting it from the south. 

Whether this he the explanation of the narrowness of the lower 
valley or not, the restricted limits of this section have an important 
bearing upon the action of the stream in times of flood, producing a 
congestion of the waters in excessive freshets which has been of great 
pecuniary damage to the city of Passaic and the surrounding districts. 
The building of docks at Newark and the erection of solid masonry 
piers for bridges, together with a number of elevated causeways for 
turnpikes crossing the stream and flat lands adjacent, have still fur- 
ther narrowed the already loo limited outlet below Passaic. 

Like the central basin, the floor of the lower valley is composed of 
soft Triassic sandstones, more or less overlain b} r glacial drift. 

TRIBUTARIES OF PASSAIC RIVER. 

SADDLE RIVER. 

In ascending the Passaic from its mouth, Saddle River is the first 
and only tributary of size in the 1 >wer valley. 'Phis stream rises in 
New Fork, :i miles north of the State line, flows almost due south for 
17 miles, and reaches the Passaic at Garfield. Its course is wholly in 
the red-sandstone area, which is thickly covered with glacial drift. 
It has an average fall of 34.1 feet per mile. Its catchment area 
amounts to 60.7 square miles. The country which it drains is a fer- 
tile farming land, with a population of 122 to the square mile, and 28 
per cent of its area is still forest, Floods on this stream rise rapidly, 
remain high but a few hours, and decline as quickly as they arise; 
the most severe floods occupy from one to two days. 

RAMAPO RIVER. 

The Ramapo rises in Orange County, N. Y., upon the crystalline 
highlands and Paleozoic areas; it cuts the trend of the crystalline 
ridges in a deep gorge, falling 280 feet in 16 miles, from Turners to 
Suffern, above which point if drains 112.4 square miles. Entering 
New Jersey at Suffern, it reaches the sandstone area and flows 12 miles 
to Pompton along the contact of the sandstone and the crystalline 
rocks, with a fall of 5.7 feet to the mile. Its tributaries in this stage 
are few, and are mostly from the precipitous slopes of the highlands on 
its right bank, so that the river as a whole may be regarded as a high- 
land stream. At Pompton, 10 miles below Suffern, the river passes 
over a natural fall, increased by a dam to 23 feet in height (PI. VI, A); 
above this dam there is a pond 202 acres in extent. 



1<> THE PASSAIC FL(M)J) OF 1902. [no.Ss. 

Alter passing the dam at Pompton the Ramapo enters the central 
basin and joins the Peqnanac and Wanaque to form the Pompton 
River. The stream is well adapted to the development of power, and 
several hundred horsepower upon it are already improved; 75 per 
cent of the area is in forest, and the population is 58 to the square 
mile. 

WANAQUE RIVER. 

Joining the watershed of the Ramapo on the south and west lies 
the drainage basin of the Wanaqne; the topography of its watershed 

is almost identical with that of the former stream, and its waters are 
gathered entirely from the Highland area; its source is Greenwood 
Lake, a lake of glacial origin, which lies between heavily wooded 
mountains and was formed by the accumulation of drift across a 
narrow valley. It is 6 miles long with a uniform breadth of five-eight lis 
of a mile. It has a surface area of 1,020 acres and an altitude of 621 
feet above sea level. At its outlet is a stone dam 181 feet long and 11 
feet high. From Greenwood Lake the river has a length of 18 miles 
with a general southerly course, mostly through longitudinal valleys 
of the crystalline Highlands, until it emerges at Pompton and enters 
the Central Basin, where it joins the Peqnanac and Ramapo to form 
the Pompton. From Greenwood Lake to its junction with the Peqna- 
nac it falls 151 feet, or about 20 feet to the mile ; 80 per cent of the 
area of its watershed is in forest, and its population is but 30 to the 
square mile. 

PEQUANAC RIVER. 

The watershed of the Peqnanac also lies entirety in the Highlands 
and adjoins that of the Wanaque on the south; in the topography of 
its watershed and in its general characteristics it closely resembles the 
area drained by the Wanaque and Ramapo. The Pequanac has a 
length of 31 miles and rises on the western portion of the Highland belt, 
which it crosses to the east in a narrow gorge; it has an average drop 
of 35.1 feet to the mile, falling about 1,100 feet from source to mouth. 
From a point 2 miles above its mouth to Newfoundland, a distance of 
12| miles, the fall is 15 feet to the mile. 

The Pequanac River has been extensively utilized as a source of 
public water supply; it has natural storage in several ponds of mod- 
erate size upon its drainage area, and in the following three large 
reservoirs built by the East Jersey Water Companies; Oak Ridge 
reservoir, 16 miles from its mouth, with an area of 383 acres; Clinton 
reservoir, 13 miles from its mouth, with an area of 123 acres, andCan- 
istear reservoir, about 23 miles above its mouth, with an area of 350 
acres. The water collected in these reservoirs is conducted in the 
open stream to the Makopin intake, a small reservoir 0.5 miles above 
the mouth, having an area of 12 acres; from this point it is conducted 
to the city of Newark in a steel conduit. Seventy-five per cent of the 
area of its watershed is in forest, 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 88 PL. IV 




A. DAM AT LITTLE FALLS. 




B. PASSAIC FALLS AT PATERSON. 



HOLLISTEB A 
LE1GHTO 



^"J TRIBUTARIES OF PASSAIC RIVER. 17 



ROCKAWAY RIVER. 

A third tributary on the Highland area, whose drainage area lies 
almost wholly in the Highlands, is the Rockaway; its area adjoins 
that of the Pequanac on the south; it is 40 miles long from source to 
mouth and has a fall of 780 feet or 19.5 feet per mile. It has exten- 
sive storage facilities in natural ponds, among them Splitroek Pond, 
Dixons Pond, Denmark Pond, Green Pond, and Opennaki Lake 

Power is developed at Boonton on the edge of the Highlands it mi Irs 
above its mouth, and is second only to those at Paterson and Little 
Falls. Like the Pequanac its course is across the Highland ridges, 
but its fall is less uniform than that of the last-named stream. Above 
Boonton the stream drains 118 square miles, the population of which 
is 113 to the square mile; 82 per cent of the area is in forest. As the 
stream leaves the Highlands at Boonton it has a rapid fall to Old 
Boonton, 24<> feet in 1.5 miles; at Old Boonton it. enters the central 
basin, and for 2 miles has a fall of 32 feet per mile; <i miles below it 
joins the Passaic,' with a fall of 2.3 feet per mile. The area of the 
entire watershed is 138.4 miles. 

WHIPPANY RIVER. 

This is a small stream which heads in the Highlands, with most of 
its course in the morainic hills north of Morristown. It is about 17 
miles long, and from its highest source has a fall of 040 feet; it has a 
drainage area of 71.1 square miles, with a population of 124 to the 
square mile; 36 per cent of its area is in forest; 25.4 square miles of 
its area lie in the Highland area and 45.7 square miles in the central 
basin. The Whippany is known as a (puck-spilling stream. 

UPPER PASSAIC RIVER. 

The Upper Passaic* heads in the Highland area and descends into 
the upper portion of the central basin as a very small stream; in this 
part of the basin flat lands are found subject to overflow, covering an 
area of nearly 10,400 acres; they are confined on the north by the 
terminal moraine, on the west by the Highlands, and on the south and 
east by Long Hill or Third Watchung Mountain, the western member 
of the concentric series of trap ridges. Tin; Passaic drains this basin 
in a narrow gorge cutting the Third Mountain at Millington, from 
which point it descends to Chatham, a distance of 17 miles, where it 
crosses the terminal moraine and enters the central basin proper. 

Under present conditions the characteristic functions of the three 
main divisions above described may be stated as follows: The High- 
land area is the chief gathering ground; the central basin, the reser- 
voir area; the lower valley, the discharge artery. These functions 
are greatly intensified in times of flood. 

irk 88—03 2 



18 



THE PASSAIC FL(X)I) OF 1902. 



[no. 88. 



For Hit' 



SUMMARY. 

better understanding of the more important relations of the 

Passaic system the profile of the river 
and its tributaries is inserted. Atten- 
tion is particularly called to the impor- 
tant features which control flood con- 
ditions as they are illustrated in this 
diagram. The first of these is the rapid 
gradient of the tributaries which enter 
the central basin from the Highland 
area. The diagram, especially in the 
cases of the Pequanac and Rockaway 
rivers, admirably shows the rapid fall 
from the mountains to the flat valley 
in the last few miles of their course. 
The same is true to a lesser extent of 
the Wanaque, Whippany, and Ramapo 
rivers. The effect of these compara- 
tively steep grades is emphasized in 
times of flood bj'the still steeper valley 
sides and the high pitch of the small 
lateral runs and by the abundance of 
the exposed rock surface of the region. 
When to these conditions are added a 
covering of snow or ice and a frozen soil, 
as was the case at the time of the flood 
under discussion, the whole region be- 
comes exceedingly "quick spilling" in 
spite of its large percentage of forests, 
and pours its waters into the central 
basin with great rapidity. 

The second important condition in- 
dicated by the profile is the exceedingly 
flat nature of the central basin. From 
Two Bridges, the mouth of the Pompton 
River, to Lower Chatham Bridge, 21.5 
miles above by stream, the total fall is 
only 7 feet, and from Little Falls to Stan- 
ley, the limits of the flat part of the cen- 
tral basin, a distance of 27 miles, the 
total fall is only 19 feet. In this portion 
of the watershed occur the great swamp 
areas which overflow and remain sub- 
merged under flood discharges. 

The third important feature is found 
in the fact that the tributaries which 




HOLI.ISTER AND] 
LEIGHTON.J 



FLOW OF PASSAIC RIVER. 



19 



furnish the largest percentage of water to the main stream enter it in 
the central-basin area and above the gorge at Little Falls, which, as 
has been described, is bnt a narrow outlet. 

The fourth interesting and suggestive feature is that from the out- 
let of the central basin the main trunk of the river reaches sea level 
by t h roe quick descents at Little Falls, Pateison, and Dundee, between 
which lie stretches having very little fall. The effect- of these level 
reaches in each case is to retard and accumulate waters which are 
poured into them, thus helping to produce local overflows which dur- 
ing Hoods are often disastrous. 

As a summary of the important features of the drainage area the 
following table is added, which shows the total drainage area of the 
whole system in square miles as well as that of the individual tribu- 
taries; also their lengths, proportion of forested areas, fall in feet, 
and other features. 



Table showing drainage areas, forest areas, fall in feet, and gradient of the Pas- 
saic and its tributaries. 





Drain- 
age 
area. 


Length 

of 
river. 


Forests 
upon 

water- 
shed. 

Per 

cent. 

44 
28 
69 
72 
83 
78 
80 
36 


Drain- 
age area 
on crys- 
talline 
high- 
lands. 


Drain- 
age area 
in 
upper 
basin. 


Drain- 
age area 
in 
lower 

valley. 


Fall. 


Average 
gradi- 
ent. 


Passaic pr< >per 

Saddle River .. 

Pompton River 

Ramapo River 

Wanaque River 

Pequanac River 

Rockaway River 

Whippany River _ _ . 


Si t ii arc 
III lies. 

299.0 
60. 7 

24. 8 
160.7 
109. 6 

84.8 
138.4 

71.1 


Miles. 
83. 5 
17.0 
6. 
34. 
16. 5 
31.0 
40. 
20. 


Square 
miles. 

10.0 

0.0 

0.0 

136.0 

109. 6 

83. 8 

118.2 

25.4 


Square 
miles. 

«129.9 

0.0 

24.8 

24. 7 

0.0 

1.0 

20. 2 

45. 7 


Square 
miles. 

115.5 

60.7 
0. 
0.0 
0.0 
0.0 
0.0 
0.0 


Feet. 

580 

540 

10 

650 

550 

1.090 

1 . 030 

680 


Feetper 

mill . 

6.9 
31.8 

1.66 
18. 8 
33.9 
35. 1 
25. 7 
34.0 


Total 


949. 1 






483. 


289.9 


176.2 















«43.6 square miles above Chatham. 



FLOW OF PASSAIC RIVER. 



Various short-term measurements of the flow of the Passaic River 
have been made by engineers, and the records appear scattered through 
reports which have not received wide distribution. Much informa- 
tion regarding the stream was collected and compiled by Mr. C. C. Ver- 
meule, and included in his admirable report to the geological survey 
of the State of New Jersey/' In this report is a series of flow curves 
covering the years 1877 to 1893/' The values represented by these 
curves were computed from gage-height records, maintained during 



a Water Supply: Geol. Survey New Jersey, Vol. Ill, 1891. 



''Ibid., p. 154. 



20 



THK PASSAIC FLOOD <>K 1902. 



[no. 88. 



the period mentioned above, along the river between Little Falls and 
Dundee dam. A tabulation of these values appears in Water-Supply 
and Irrigation Paper No. 72, and for convenience is reproduced below: 

Daily flow <>f Passaic River at Paterson and Dundee. 
[Inches on watershed.] 





Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


1 
Nov. 


Dec. 


Yearly 
aver- 
age. 


1877 


1.029 

.(184 
.027 
. 1 15 
. 037 
.069 
,031 


0.081 
.138 

.1171 
.093 
. 131 

.171 
. 1 15 
. 215 

.(181 
. 181) 

.171 
.138 

.087 

.118 
.205 
.052 
.203 


0.202 
. 126 

.182 

.080 
.215 

.127 
.106 
.157 
.066 

.01)7 
•.118 
.ItiK 
.104 
.107 
.IK!) 
.065 
.227 


1.107 
.046 
.143 
,030 
.042 
.117 
.098 
.0114 
.115 
.114 
.087 

. 195 

.137 
.099 
.076 
.054 
.130 


(.032 

.055 
.055 
.036 
.029 
. 105 
.053 
.067 
.054 
.113 
.039 
.024 
.104 
.087 
.029 
.045 
.155 


0.021 
.054 
.034 
.012 
.056 
.061 
.024 
.022 
.016 
.(«4 
.069 
.014 
.059 

.051 
.015 
.038 
.077 


0.015 
.027 
.035 
.013 
.037 
.061 
.033 
.043 

.015 
.017 
.080 

.013 

.088 

.031 

.oil 

.011) 

.025 


1.015 

.063 

.051 

. 010 
.018 
.013 
.090 
.02(1 
.018 
.052 
.(«4 
. 145 
.035 
.023 
.019 
.023 


(.013 

.018 

.031 
.012 
.010 
.197 
.013 
. 010 
.010 
.010 
.014 
.160 
.142 
.151 
.023 
.014 
.020 


o.oir 

.019 
.010 
.011 
.010 
.043 
.047 
.019 
.027 
.018 
.027 
.015 
.055 
.084 
.013 
.011 
.041 


0.164 

.058 
.012 
. 027 
.018 
.019 
.044 
.035 
.089 
.032 
.021 
.105 
.315 
.047 
.026 
.048 


1.081 

. 2:i7 
.075 
.021 
.(152 
.088 
.024 
.011 

.102 
.087 

.UK) 
.138 

. 148 

.051 
.005 
.039 
.056 


0.071 


1878 


.076 


1871) 


.OKI 


1880 

1881 . 


.041 
.054 


1882 

1883 


.094 
.050 


1884- 

1886.. 

1887 . 


.092 

. 109 
. 105 

. 14:") 

.066 

.1112 

. 158 

.121 


.066 
.063 
.066 

.074 


1888 - 

1890 ..- 


.096 
.123 

.077 


1891 


.071 


18112 

1893 


.046 

.098 






Monthly 
average . - 


.1(11 


.133 


.13t> 


.099 


.064 


.039 


.033 


.035 


.050 


.032 


.067 


.070 



Discharge measurements of Pompton River at Two Bridges, N. J. 



Date. 



1901. 

May 4 

May 24 

June 15 

July 11 1 

Atigtist 15 

August 26 

October 26 

November 22 



Ga { 
heig 


EL 


Feet. 


3. 


35 


2. 


20 


1. 


60 


1. 


35 


1 


78 


8 


32 


1 


30 


1 


00 



Discharge. 

Second-feet. 

1,837 
952 
543 
304 
350 

5,425 
283 
195 



U. B. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 88 PL. V 




A. LITTLE FALLS GORGE AT LOW WATER. 




B. LITTLE FALLS GORGE AT HIGH WATER. 



HOLLISTF.R AN 
LEIGHTo 



J£] FLOW OF PASSAIC RIVER. 

Discharge measurements of Passaic Rimer at Two Bridges, N. J. 



21 



Date. 



1901 

May 4 

May 4 '_ 

May 24 

June 15 

July 11 

August 15 

August 26 

October 26 

November 23 



Gage 

height. 



Feet. 
3.88 
L20 
3.05 
2. 50 
2.20 
2. 75 
9.35 
2.20 
1.92 



Discharge. 



g< cond-feet. 

1.345 

1.198 

626 

522 

337 

589 

3. 882 

230 

181 



Estimated monthly discharge of Passaic River <<t Tiro Bridges, N. J 

[Drainage area, 860 square miles.] 





Month. 


Discharge in second-feet. 


Run-off. 




Maximum. 


Minimum. 


Mean. 


Second- 
fee + per 
square 

mile. 


Depth in 
inches. 


May " 


1901. 


2,000 


<;■_>:; 


1.105 
779 

UN 

1 . 4011 
632 
172 
321 

1.015 


3.07 

2. 1(1 
1 . 24 
3.91 

1 . 76 

1.31 

.8!) 

2.82 


3. 54 


June 1-22 . . 


1.76 


July - 


1,007 
::, 858 
1.650 
959 
719 
4, 445 


137 
363 

271 
225 

1S1 

225 


1.43 


August 
September 
< tetober 




4.51 
1.96 




1.51 


November 

I tecember 


.99 
3.26 











a Approximate. 



22 



THE PASS A 10 FLOOD OF 1902. 



[no. 



Estimated month/!/ discharge ofPompton River at Two Bridges, N. ■/. 

[Draina^r area, :«>0 square miles.] 



Month. 



1901. 



May a 

June 1-22 . 

July 

August . . . 
September 
October . . . 
November. 
December _ 



Discharge in second Oeet. 



Maximum. 



2,751 



1,254 
5,342 
2,240 
1.181 
1,001 
6, 328 



Minimum. 



s«i:i 



195 
255 
221 
221 
195 
300 



Mean. 



1 , 529 
1,015 

541 
1,834 
848 
533 
322 
1.441 



Run-off. 



Second- 
feet per 
square 
mile. 



4.25 
2.82 
1.50 
5.09 
2.35 
1.48 
.89 
4.oo 



Depth in 
inches. 



4.90 
2.30 
1.73 
5.86 
2.62 
1.71 
.99 
4.61 



" Approximate. 

Daily gage height, in feet, ofPompton River <rf Tiro Bridges, N. J., for 1901. 



Day. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1 




3.90 

3. 75 
3.70 
3.40 
3.05 
2. SO 
2.00 
3.51 
3.50 
2. SO 
2.45 
2. 15 
1 . 95 
1.60 
1.50 
1.50 
1.45 
1.45 
1.25 
1.20 
1. 15 
1.00 
1. 00 
1 . 15 
1.10 
1.15 
.90 
.90 
.90 
.90 


1.20 
1.85 
2.05 
2.25 
2.45 
2.60 
2. 65 
2. 65 
1.85 
1.50 
1.30 
1 . 45 
1.60 
1.60 

1.40 

1.15 
1.35 
2. 65 
1.65 
1.60 
1.20 
1.00 
1.00 
1.00 

1.00 

1.00 
1.00 

1.00 

1.30 

1.75 

1 . 75 


1.70 
1.45 
1.55 
1.35 
1.20 
1.20 
:s. 25 
3.90 
3. 15 
2.(55 
2. 45 
2.25 
2.05 
2.00 
1.S5 
1.55 
1.50 
3.20 
4.55 
4. 25 
3.60 
5. 15 
5.00 
6.50 
8.25 
7. 15 
li. 10 
5. 15 
4. 55 
4.(15 
3. 85 


4.00 

3.80 
3.50 

2. 95 
2.60 
2. 45 
2.20 
2.00 
2.85 
1.65 
2. 65 
2.&5 
1.70 
1.50 
1.50 
1.85 
2.05 

2.IKI 

2.00 

1.85 
1.45 
1.40 
1.40 
1.40 
1.30 
1.20 
1.10 
1.10 
1.50 

2.50 


2.:*) 

2.00 
2.00 

2.00 
1.75 
1.(15 
1.50 
1.40 
1.30 
1.30 
1.30 
1.30 
1.25 
1 . 95 
2. 55 
:'.. 45 
2.30 
2. 15 
2.00 
1.75 
1.60 
1.50 
1.40 
t.30 
1.30 
1.30 
1.25 
1.20 
1.20 

1.10 
1.10 


1.10 
1.10 

1.10 

1.10 
1.10 
1.10 
1.10 
1.10 
1.10 
1.10 
1.10 
1.15 
1 . 25 
1 . 45 
1.20 
1.20 
1.20 
1.20 
1.10 
1.10 
LOO 
1.00 

1.00 
1.10 
1.(55 
2.30 
1.95 
1.90 
1.70 
1 . 55 


1.30 


2 ... 


3. 10 
3.50 
3.35 
2.a5 

2.45 
2. 15 
2.20 

4.70 
4.30 
3.60 

:{. 55 

2.60 

:>.. 65 
2.45 

2. 15 
2.30 

2.40 
2. 75 

2. SO 


1.30 


3 


1.35 


4 


1.75 


5 


1.90 


7 


1.95 
1.75 


8.. 


1.70 


9 


1.(50 


12 


1.16 
2.25 

2.05 


13 


1.00 


14 


2. 45 


15... 


3.40 


is 


5. '.HI 
4.90 
4.20 


19 


3.90 


20. . 


:i. (55 


22 


:s.:io 
:;. lo 


23 


2.60 


25 


1.95 

1.80 


2« 


1.55 


27 


2.35 




2. 70 


30 

31 _ 


4 no 

4.00 


2.80 
7.10 
9. 60 







™to] FLOW OF PASSAIC RIVER. 23 

Daily gage height, in feet, of Passaic River at Two Bridges, N. J., for 1901. 



l . 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 
10. 
11 . 
12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 
H', 
17. 
18 . 
19. 
20. 
21. 
22. 
23. 
:.'l 
25. 
26 . 
27. 
28 
29. 
30 
31. 



Day. 



May 



3.90 

4.:.'.") 
4.20 
■MIT) 

3.60 
3.30 

3.05 
2.95 
3. 65 
5.65 

5.60 
5. 15 
4.85 

1.45 
4.11.-) 

:i.«.K) 
3.40 
3.50 
2.95 
3. ir, 
3.00 

3.IH) 

3.05 

3. 25 
3.60 
:i. 95 
4.4(1 
4.4(1 
4.65 
4.30 



June. 



4.75 
4.55 
4.55 

4.30 
3. 95 
3.65 
3. 45 

4.35 
4.05 
3. 85 
3.40 
3. 15 
2. a") 
3.00 
2. 50 
2. 40 
2.30 
2. 15 
1.05 
1.95 
1.90 
1 . 85 
l.oo 
2.00 
2.05 
1.90 
1.90 
1.80 
1.80 
1.80 



July. 



L.80 

2.10 
2.30 
2.70 
3. 10 
3.60 
3. 65 
3. 45 
2.70 
2.25 
2.20 
2.45 
2. 55 
2.50 
2.30 
2.25 
2.40 
3.55 
2.60 
2.50 
2. 15 
2.00 
2.00 
2. IX) 
2.00 
2. (HI 
2.00 
2.00 
2.20 
2.70 
2.75 



Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


2. 75 


4.05 


3. 15 


2.00 


2.50 


4. SO 


3.00 


2.00 


2.50 


4.40 


:; mi 


2.00 


2.50 


4.10 


3.00 


2.00 


2.30 


3. 75 


2. 85 


2. (HI 


2.30 


3. 50 


2. (15 


2.00 


4.20 


3.20 


2. 45 


2. (HI 


4. 80 


3.00 


2.40 


2. (HI 


4.00 


2.90 


2.30 


2.00 


3.70 


2.60 


2. 25 


2.00 


3.45 


2.50 


2.20 


2. (XI 


3.25 


2.60 


2.20 


2.05 


3.05 


2. (iO 


2. :io 


2.. -id 


3.00 


2. .V. 


2.85 


2.30 


2.75 


2. 45 


3. 55 


2. 10 


2.50 


2. 65 


3. 45 


2. 10 


2. 50 


2. 85 


3.20 


2. 10 


4.10 


2.80 


2. '.15 


2.10 


5.55 


2. (ir. 


2. Ml 


2.00 


5.20 


2.50 


2.00 


2.00 


4.50 


2. 45 


2.50 


2. (XI 


6.15 


2.40 


2.50 


2.00 


6.00 


2.20 


2.20 


1.00 


7.05 


2. 20 


2.20 


2.35 


9.30 


2.20 


2.20 


2. 65 


8.50 


2.10 


2. 10 


3.05 


7.35 


2.10 


2.0.-, 


3.00 


6. .35 


2. 10 


2. (HI 


3.00 


5. 45 


2.40 


2. (HI 


2.65 


5.00 


3.35 


2. (HI 


2.30 


5. 10 




2.00 





Dec. 

2.00 
2.00 

2.05 
:.' on 
2. or. 
2. 86 
2.70 
2. (ir. 
2.50 
2 40 
2.95 
2.85 
2.80 
2. 85 
3.20 
6.80 
5.90 
5. 15 
4.85 
4.20 
3.00 
3.00 
2.95 
2.70 
2.55 
2.40 
3.20 
3.80 
3.70 
8.70 
10.45 



24 THE PASSAIC FLOOD OF 1902. [no. 88. 

Daily gage height, in feet, of Pomptoti Hirer <tf Tiro Bridges, X. J., for 1902. 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 

in. -in 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Auk. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 






3.00 


I.:;.-. 


3.30 


2.15 


2.50 


2.75 


l.:«j 


4.55 


2. 75 


1.20 


2 


7.55 
6.45 
6.25 
5. 15 

4. (Ml 


3.50 
3.7(1 
3.50 
3.40 
3.30 
2.80 


14.40 
14.00 
10. SO 
it. 75 
S.40 
7. 15 


4. 15 
3.40 
3. 25 

3. 15 
3.00 
3. 15 


3.115 
2. SO 
2.95 
2.55 
2.40 
2. 15 


1 . 75 
1.30 
1.30 

1.20 
1.20 
1.10 


2.25 
2.00 
2.10 
2.00 
1 . 85 
1.65 


2.65 
2.55 
2.30 
2.10 
2.00 
1.85 


1.20 
1.10 

1.10 

1.10 

l.lo 

1.00 


4.95 

4.70 
4.45 
4.45 

4.75 
4.. 50 


2.70 
2.70 
2. (15 
2. 5', 
2. 35 
2. 25 


1.45 


3. 


1.70 


4 


2.00 


5_. 


2.00 


(J 


2. 10 




2. 10 






2. 10 


(». 15 


3. 65 


2.00 


1.10 


1.45 


1.70 


1.10 


4. 25 


2.20 


2.20 




2. 55 


1.90 


(i. 55 


5.30 


2.00 


1.10 


1.40 


1.60 


1.10 


3.95 


2.05 


2. 35 






1.70 


7. 35 


6.60 


1.85 


1. 00 


1.40 


1.50 


1.20 


3.60 


1.90 


2.25 


11 


2.25 


1.60 

1.50 


7.70 
7. 45 


6. 60 

(i. 15 


1.50 
1.30 


1.00 
LOO 


1.35 

1.30 


2. 55 
2.95 


1.25 
1.30 


3.30 
4.60 


l.so 
1.55 


2.10 




2. 10 


13 


2.3() 
2.20 


1.40 
1.40 


7.30 

7.50 


5.80 
4.55 


1.30 

1.30 


1.05 
1.25 


1.20 

1.20 


3.60 
3. .50 


1.40 
1.50 


5.05 
4.85 


1.45 
1.35 


2.00 


14 


1.90 


15 - 


2.115 
1.50 
1.60 
1.50 


1.30 

1.20 
1.20 
1.20 

1.10 


7. 15 
7.00 
5. HO 
6.60 
5.55 


4.05 

3.60 
3.40 

3.10 

2.60 


1.20 
1.20 
1.20 

1.15 

1.10 


1.30 
1.30 
1.30 

1.30 
1.25 


1.20 

1.20 
1.10 
1.20 
1.30 


3.50 
2.25 
3.05 
2.70 
2. 55 


1.50 

1.40 
1.15 
1.10 
1.10 


4. 65 1 


1 . 85 


16 


4 ,5 
3. 65 
3.00 

3.00 


1.30 
1.30 
1.20 

1.20 


2.30 


17 


5.65 


18.... 


8.25 




s.20 


20 


1.30 
1.30 

5.75 


1.20 

1.30 
1.50 

1.70 


4. 65 
4. 35 

4.10 
3. 75 


2.50 
2.50 
2.40 
2. 40 


1.20 
1.20 
1.20 

1.10 


1.25 
1 . 35 
1 70 
1.65 


1.30 
1.35 

1.50 
1.45 


2. 65 
2. 45 
2. 25 
2. 15 


1.10 
1.10 
1.10 
1.00 


2. 115 
2. SO 
2. 65 
2.40 


1.20 
1.20 

l.lo 

1.00 


8.00 


21 


8.00 


22 


7.55 




7.90 


24 


0. 85 


1.85 

2. 45 


3.40 
3. 15 


2.30 
2.20 


1.10 
1.20 


1.50 
1.50 


1.40 
1.75 


1.90 
1.60 


1.10 
1.25 


2.05 
1 . 85 


1.00 

1.20 


Si. 55 




It. 25 


26 


4. 35 


4.30 

7.20 


2. 85 
2.60 


1.80 

1.65 


1.75 
2.15 


1.50 
1.61 


2. 15 
2.20 


1.45 

1 20 


2.70 
3.30 


1.75 
1.65 


1.30 
1.45 


8. 30 




8.05 


28 


4.(15 
3.45 


8.60 


2. 45 
3.30 


1.60 
2.40 


2. 75 
2.80 


1 . 55 
1.35 


2.20 
2.15 


1.35 

1.40 


3.95 
4.60 


2.40 

2. S5 


1.50 
1.40 


7.20 


29 


6. 65 


:«>... 


3. 15 





4.55 


3.00 


2.45 


2. 45 


2.70 


1.30 


4.55 


3.00 


1.30 


6. 65 


31 


3.20 




4.45 




2.25 




2.85 


1.30 





3.90 





6. 55 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 








WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 88 PL. VI 




3 


. TSX 


ii m/y^ Jl / 


~'H^f*~- »■* \ \^fe^" 


^^f*v° 


\TH^ 


^FJpTS^^yr^S^L 




n^^t - 






r -.\K_._ ^yjp* — ** " 


wT? t 


3v 

fc£jy N 


\2?JL--i 






/m J _»*" _ ' " S "^T"" 




■ 


1 i ^y 


/9b 




/^- A 


i ,.' 






■ 




Vli 


xW 


wi ^"^TiX ^~- 


^K ~>i_. ir^^- 




vTPBI 


-i^ lir CJT"^^ 




'^v^sBrai*^**' 


>*^fiiK * ' ^B v .«& 


E / v*A». 






H ■! '-- 









A. FALLS, POMPTON LAKE. 




i'. LITTLE FALLS GORGE, LOOKING UNDER MORRIS CANAL VIADUCT, HIGH 

WATER. 



HOLLISTER 



Height™] PLOW OF PASSAIC RIVER. 25 

Daily gage height, in fret, of Passaic River at Two Bridges, N. J., for 1902. 



Day. 



Jan. 



4 

3 

3 

.. 3 
3 



F.<1> 



3.70 
4.35 
4.50 
4.30 

4.15 
4.00 
3.80 
3.60 
3.40 
3.20 
3.20 
2. 90 
2.60 
2.30 
:.'. Id 
2. Id 
2.10 
2.10 
2.20 
2. 30 
2.45 
2. 65 
2.70 
3.40 
3.90 
.->. 45 
8. 15 
9.60 



Mar. 



11.55 
13.50 

12. HO 
11.80 
10. 75 
9.40 
8. 15 
7.20 
7.50 
8.35 
8.70 
8. 45 
8.30 
8.50 
8.15 
8.00 
6.90 
7.55 
(i. 75 
5. 65 
5. 35 
:.. Ki 
4. 75 
4.40 
t. 15 
3. 75 
3.50 
3. 35 
1.25 
5. 55 
5. :<5 



Apr Maj 



5.25 
5. 15 
4.65 
1. in 
4. 15 
4.00 
4.15 
4. (HI 
6.25 
7.65 
7.65 
7. 15 
6.70 
5.55 
5. 10 
4.60 
4.4(1 
4.10 
3.40 
3.50 
3.50 
3.40 
3.40 
3.30 
3.20 
2.80 
2. 65 
2.65 
3.30 
3.90 



4.40 
4.10 
3.80 
3. 95 
3. 55 
3.40 
3. 15 
3.00 
3.00 
2.85 

2. ."Ml 
2.30 
2.30 
2.30 
2.30 
2.20 
2.20 
2.15 
2.10 
2.20 
2.20 
2.20 
2.10 
2.10 
2.25 
2.60 
2. 95 

3. :i5 
3. 65 
:(. 45 
3. 25 



Juno 



3.10 

2.70 
2.40 
2.30 
2.20 
2. 15 
2.1(1 
2. 10 
2. 10 
2.00 
2.00 
2.00 
2.20 
2.30 
2.30 
2. .-.I) 
2.30 
2.30 
2. 25 
2. 25 
2.4(1 
2.80 
2. 75 
2.60 
2. (HI 
2.50 
2. 65 
2. 55 
2. in 
3.30 



July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


3.30 


:;. 75 


2.30 


5.55 


3. 75 


3.25 


:f. 65 


2.20 


5.95 


3.70 


3.00 


:i. 55 


2. 15 


5.70 


3.65 


:!. in 


:i.:i(i 


2.00 


5. 55 


3.55 


3.00 


3.10 


2.00 


5.45 


3.35 


2. 85 


3.00 


2.00 


5. 75 


3.30 


2. 65 


2. 85 


2.0(1 


5.50 


3.20 


2. 55 


2.70 


2. 10 


5. 25 


3.20 


2.40 


2.60 


2. 10 


4.95 


3.05 


2.40 


2. 45 


2.2(1 


4. (HI 


2.90 


2. 35 


3.50 


2. 25 


4.311 


2.sii 


2.:jo 


3. 05 


2.30 


5. 55 


2.55 


2.20 


1.60 


2. lo 


6.05 


2.45 


2.20 


4.50 


2.50 


5. 85 


2.35 


2.20 


4.50 


2.50 


5. 05 


2.30 


2.20 


4.25 


2.40 


5. 15 


2.30 


2.10 


4.(15 


2. 15 


5.65 


2.30 


2.20 


3.70 


2.10 


4.40 


2.20 


2.25 


3. 55 


2. 10 


4.00 


2.20 


2.30 


3. 60 


2. 10 


3. 05 


2.20 


2.35 


3. 35 


2. 10 


3.80 


2.20 


2.50 


3.20 


2. 10 


3. 1)5 


2.10 


2. 45 


3.05 


2.00 


3. H) 


2.00 


2.40 


2. '.HI 


2. 10 


3.05 


2.00 


2. 75 


2. (HI 


2. 25 


2.85 


2.20 


:s. 15 


2. 35 


2. 85 


2. 75 


2.30 


3.20 


2.20 


3.60 


2.65 


2.45 


3.20 


2. 35 


4.55 


3.40 


2.50 


3.15 


2.40 


5. (HI 


3. (HI 


2.40 


3.70 


2.30 


5.55 


4.00 


2.30 


3.85 


2.3(1 




3.90 





Dec. 

2.20 
2. 45 
2.70 
3.00 
3.00 

3. 10 
3. 10 
3.20 
3. 35 
3.25 
3. 10 
3.10 
3.00 
2.90 
2.85 
2. .so 
o. 65 
9.25 
0.2(1 
9.00 

0.00 

8. 55 

S. 05 
10.55 
10.25 
9. 45 
9.05 
8.20 
7. 65 
7.(15 
7. 55 



2<> THE PASSAIC FLOOD <>K L902. 

Estimated monthly discharge of Passiac River <il Two Hridges, N. •/. 
I drainage area, 360 square miles. | 



[no. 88. 



.Month 



1902. 



January 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August ... 

September 

October . 

November 

December 

The year 



Discharge in second-feet. 



Maximum. 



3, 
4, 

" 11, 
3, 
1, 

1, 
1, 
1, 

2, 
1, 
4, 



832 

(ill 
600 
016 
375 
839 
103 
475 
975 
200 
05.-) 
496 



« 11,600 



■Minimum 



325 

271 
863 
527 
271 
225 
271 
317 
225 
527 
225 
317 
29S 



Run-off. 



Mean. 



1,616 

1.003 

2, 863 

1,424 

ois 
408 
550 
808 
488 

1 . 467 
534 

2,071 



1,154 



Second- 
Feel per 
square 
mile. 



I. I!) 

2.79 

a 7. 95 

3. 96 

1.72 
1.13 

1 . 53 

2. 24 
1.36 

4. OS 
1.4S 
5.75 



3.21 



Depth in 
inches. 



" !». 
4. 
1. 
1. 
1. 

o 

1. 

-I. 
1. 

6. 



18 
91 
16 
42 
98 
26 
76 
58 
52 
70 
65 

63 



43. 75 



a Estimated. 

Estimated monthly discharge of Pompton River at TwoBridges, N. J. 

[Drainage area, 360 square miles.] 





Month. 


Discharge in second-feet. 


Run 


off. 




Maximum. 


Minimum. 


Mean. 


Second- 
feet per 
square 
mile. 


Depth in 
inches. 


January 


1902. 


5.415 


300 


2,080 


5. 78 


6. 66 


February _ 




5.59S 


221 


1. ISO 


3.28 


3.42 


March 




a 11, coo 


1. 109 


"4,050 


"11. 25 


"12.97 


April 




4, 138 


505 


1 . 867 


5. 19 


5. 79 


May 




1 , 729 


221 


703 


1 . 95 


2. 25 


June 




1. 109 


195 


376 


1.04 


1.16 


July 




1,400 


221 


583 


1 . 62 


1.87 


August _ 




1,948 


255 


969 


2.69 


3. 10 


September 




2, 678 


195 


569 


1 . 58 


1 . 76 


October 




3,006 
1 . 327 
6.291 


540 
195 
255 


1 . 927 
575 

2, 795 


5. 35 
1 . 60 

7.76 


6.17 


November 




1.79 


December 




S. 05 




year 




The 


a 11.600 


195 


1. i;:: 


4.09 


55. SO 









'Estimated. 



HOU.ISTKR AND 
LEIGHTUN 



™] FLOW OF PASSAIC RIVER. 

Miscellaneous measurements in Passaic watershed. 



27 



Date. 



SI IVIUII 



I,i icality. 



Discharge. 



1902. 

June 26 

Oct. '-".» 

Sept. 24 

Au K . 2:! 

Sept. 11 

Sept. 23 

Oct. 30 

Oct. 30 

Sept. 26 

Oct. 30 

Sept. 20 

Aug. 2S 

Sept. 23 

Aug. 22 



Ramapo River . . 

do 

Rockaway River 

do .. 

do 

,_do .. 

do .. 

Pompton River . 
Passaic River _ . . 
do 

..do .... 
Whippany River 
Pequanac River _ 
Wanaque River _ 



Mahwah. N.J 

..do 
Old Boonton, N. J . . 
do 

..do 

do 

do .. 

Pompton Plains, N. J 
Stanley. N.J_.._ 

do 

Millington, N. J 

Whippany, N. J . 
Pompton, N. J . . 
do 



Sec-feet. 
123 
678 

33 
140 
104 
102 
488 
1,066 
195 
431 

92 

35. 3 

90 

97 



During the past year the Division of Hydrography lias made cur- 
rent-meter measurements on both the Pompton and Passaic rivers 
near their junction at Two Bridges, and for low- water stages of the 
rivers these measurements show with fair accuracy the volume of 
both streams. 

During the progress of floods, however, measurements taken at these 
stations can not be relied upon to furnish complete data of the dis- 
charge, for the reason that the Pompton, a comparatively swift-flowing 
stream, enters the Passaic, a sluggish stream, at nearly right angles, 
cutting across its current and acting as a temporary dam in backing 
up its waters to a greater or less extent. In this way the gage-height 
readings on the Passaic, which are taken just above the junction, do 
not in flood time bear their true value to the discharge of the stream. 

Another feature which detracts from the accuracy of flood meas- 
urements at Two Bridges is the fact that both rivers overflow their 
banks and spread over a wide section of flat lands during high fresh- 
ets; so that while the gage readings have a certain interesl and value, 
they do nol accurately record the true height of the water which 
should pass between the banks. Therefore in this discussion neither 
the discharge measurements nor the gage-height records have been 
considered. 

Attention is particularly called to the fluviographs of the Passaic 
and Pompton rivers (figs. .'! and 4) made from daily gage heights and 
frequent current-meter discharge measurements at Two Bridges, at 
the junction of these streams. They clearly reveal several importanl 
features in the flow of the rivers above mentioned. In the considera- 



28 



THE PASSAIC FLOOD OF 1902. 



[no. 8s. 



fcion of them it should be borne in mind that the drainage areas <>!' 
both the Passaic and Pompton rivers above the point of measurement 
are nearly equal in extent, and, furthermore, that they are adjacent. 
There is, however, this important difference between them with respect 
to topography and physical conditions, namely, that the catchment 




Fiu. 3.— Discharge of Passaic River at Two Bridges. 

basin of the Pompton lies almost entirely in a mountainous and 
heavily forested area of the Highlands, while that of the Passaic lies 
mainly in the comparatively flat cultivated area of the central basin. 
The ftuviographs show in a striking way the great irregularity in 
the How of the streams. The quick and violent rises occur in all 



.LISTER AND"! 
LEIGHTON.J 



FLOW OF PASSAIC RIVER. 



29 



months of the year, being naturally more prolonged in the springthan 
in the summer season, and the normal and comparatively small flow 
of the stream is during intervals between these rises. 

The rises occur on both streams simultaneously, as is to be expeeted 
from the proximity of the drainage areas, which naturally would 



..ft. 


JAN 
10 20 


FEB 
10 20 


MAR. 
10 20 


APR. 
10 20 


MAY 
10 20 


JUNE 
10 20 


JULY 
10 20 


AUG. SEPT 
10 20 10 20 


06T. 
10 20 


NOV. 
10 20 


DEC. 
10 20 






























































<0 

3 

•0 




































1 


90 


f 








































































• 




























































































































































! 






































































n 


i 


















! 






Nf 


3 F 


F_C 


O 


^D 












i 


I'lll ' 


II 


1 




n 


I 


f 












i 


Jl 




3 

•i 










































e 


































/. 


fO 


z 




































































































































1 

1 

1 






I 






















i 








1 












1 


1 1 


, 




1 














i 


i 
















600 1 






r 








„ 




111 






I 1 










o 1 


1 1 


' ■:mwM':w 


1 


T 


'J 



Fig. 4.— Discharge of Pompton River at Two bridges. 

receive about the same amount of precipitation during any given 
period. The rises on the Pompton River are in each case greater than 
those on the Passaic. This at first is difficult to understand, in view 
of the fact that the drainage area of the Pompton is heavily forested, 
while a large portion of the Passaic Basin, exclusive of the Rockaway, 



30 THE PAS8AI0 FLOOD <»F 1902. [ho.88. 

whose waters in this instance are included, contains a comparatively 
small proportion of forests. In oilier words, the Pompton as com- 
pared with the Passaic watershed is quick spilling. A moment's 

inspection of other conditions serves to explain the anomaly of the 
How; for not only are the grades on the Pompton watershed much 
steeper than those on the Passaic, the Rockaway River excepted, but 
this pari of the Passaic Basin contains also flic large areas of flat and 
swamp lands previously referred to, which not only retard the flow of 
flic streams, but, in the case of the swamp areas, act as a great natural 
reservoir for the wafers at all times, absorbing the high waters which 
readily Hood their surface, and contributing a constant supply back 
to the main stream in times of low- water flow. Owing to this regu- 
lating effect of the wet lands in the central basin, it is easy to account 
for the lower rises of the Passaic, as well as for the greater volume of 
its low-water flow, as compared with that of the Pompton, so clearly 
brought out by the fluviographs. 

These characteristics of flow are, of course, greatly emphasized at 
times of extraordinarily high water, as during the flood under discus- 
sion. In such times, of course, the action of the waters becomes more 
complicated owing to the fact that the Pompton discharges its flood 
crest so rapidly that it acts as a temporary check to the Passaic, the 
waters of the former cutting across the channel of the latter at Two 
15 ridges and increasing the flooding effect of the Passaic over the low- 
lands above. 

FLOOD OF 1902. 

High water is not uncommon in the Passaic Valley. It occurs, as 
will be seen by reference to previous discharge tables and diagrams, 
several times a year, but though it comes with reasonable frequency 
it is not often violent. The large area of swamp and wet lands in 
the central basin is regularly flooded each spring, as are often farm 
lands adjoining these tracts. Lower down the valley waters may often 
rise to low bench lands and give some inconvenience in towns and vil- 
lages. As far as the sewage pollution of the lower valley is con- 
cerned, these high waters are of a decided advantage, serving to flush 
that portion of the river and temporarily cleansing it from excess of 
sewage. 

When, however, the precipitation on the drainage area becomes 
great, or when a variety of circumstances combine to deliver a large 
amount of water — as, for example, an accummulation of snow is rap- 
idly melted on frozen ground by a warm and heavy rain — the flood 
conditions resulting in the lower parts of the valley are quite differ- 
ent in character. The central basin is widely flooded by a quick dis- 
charge of the highland tributaries, resulting in hardship and loss to 
the farming population of this area. The narrow gorge at Little 
Falls, whose capacity is made still less by the constricted opening of 
the old masonry span which supports the Morris Canal aqueduct (see 



GEOLOGICAL SURVE 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 88 PL. VII 




A. ROCKAWAY RIVER AT BOONTON. 




B. DAM AT DUNDEE. 



HOLI Xhton!] PRECIPITATION IN THE PASSAIC VALLEY. 31 

PI. VI, B), is unable to discharge its waters fast enough to keep them 
from flooding the lands above, while in the lower valley the waters 
invade both the cities of Paterson and Passaic, doing great damage to 
the manufacturing and residential properties and threatening the 
smaller settlements located on the lower portion of the river. 

Floods of this nature have periodically occurred in this region and 
have resulted in widespread suffering and damage. Such a flood look 
place from February 25 to March 9, 1902, reaching its height at noon on 
Sunday, March 2. It was the highest flood within the memory of the 
oldest inhabitant of the region, and owing to the fact that population 
and manufacturing interests have greatly increased in portions of the 
valley during recent years, it was probably the most destructive. The 
limits of the flood will be taken as the time during which the water 
level was above full bank. In the previously mentioned report of the 
New Jersey geological survey on the water resources of the State, the 
full bank flow at Dundee dam has been determined at 4,000 cubic 
feet per second; our measurements and observations lead us to believe 
that 5,000 cubic feet is more nearly correct. In any case the differ- 
ence is not sufficient to effect any significant discrepancy in determin- 
ing the duration of the flood. 

The discharge measurements hereinafter set forth were made with 
a small Price current meter, according to the methods practiced by 
the Division of Hydrography, except in the cases of Little Falls and 
Dundee dams. At the latter points gages were read at short intervals 
and the amount of water was determined by Bazin's series modified 
to conform with the local conditions and requirements. 

PRECIPITATION IN THE PASSAIC VALLEY. 

The records of numerous weather obser vat ion stations in the Passaic 
drainage area and those of other stations in the country immediately 
surrounding afford a trustworthy basis of measurement of precipita- 
tion over the basin. The following table is a statement of the normal 
amount of precipitation at the various stations during the month of 
February, L902. It- should be borne in mind that the month, of Feb- 
ruary is usually marked by considerable precipitation and that the 
normal for that period is, in most places, comparatively high. This 
result is a relatively large flow in river channels. Therefore an 
increase over the normal of 2 inches in the month of February 
means more, from the standpoint of damage by river floods, than it 
would in a dry season when the river had been in low stages. In 
other words, the addition of 2 inches of rainfall to the flow of a stream 
while it was running fairly high would cause more damage than would 
the addition of a similar amount to the river at a low stage. 



32 



THE PASSAIC FLOOD OF 1902. 



| no. 88. 



Precipitation in inches in the Passaic Valley and adjoining country in February^ 

hid.'. 



Station. 



HIGHLAND REGION. 



Dover 

Chester 

Charlottel rarg 
Riiigwood 



RED. SANDSTONE PLAIN. 

Paterson 

Hanover 

Rivervale 

Roseland 

Newark 

South Orange 

New York City 

Plainfield . 

Elizabeth 



Average . 



Comity. 



Morris . 

.do . 
Passaic . 



Passaic 

Morris 

Bergen 

Essex 

..do .. 

do .... 

New York 

Union 

do .... 



Normal. 



4.16 

4J30 
4.97 



4.63 
3.75 

4.89 

3.65 

4.22 
3.80 
3.96 
4.55 



4.26 



Total for 
month. 



6.93 
5.31 

6.85 
6.70 



8.15 
8.44 
7. 53 
6.90 
5.35 
5.69 
5.78 
7.65 
7.83 



6. 85 



Departure 

From 

normal. 



1.01 
1.88 



3.52 
4.09 
2.64 



1.70 
1.47 
1.98 
3. (5!) 
:;. 28 



2.60 



«'';/V Bnowlill 

horn-;. ™; u - 



2.80 
1.70 
2.65 
1.90 



3.03 
3.30 

1.60 
1 . 64 
1.30 

1.64 
1.47 
1.72 
1.60 



1.89 



18.0 
18.6 
13.0 
20.7 



25. 5 
20.5 
21.0 
15.2 
15.4 
18.5 
13.4 
23.2 
33.0 



18.9 



The record of these stations show that during the month of Febru- 
ary, 1902, the precipitation was heavy, and that the storms occurred 
on eight days of the month, namely, the 1st, 2nd, 17th, 21st, 22d, 
25th, 26th, and the 28th. There was in various places an insig- 
nificant amount of rainfall on other days, but the total is so small 
in comparison with the precipitation for the month that it may be 
disregarded without introducing errors. In the following table the 
amount of rainfall is recorded at the various stations during the eight 
days mentioned. 



HOLLI8TER AN 
LEIGHTON 



££] PRECIPITATION IN THE PASSAIC VALLEY. 



33 



Daily precipitation in inches in and adjoining tin- Passaic Valley in February, 

1902. 





Day of month. 




1. 


2. 


17. 


2L 


22. 


25. 


a;. 


28. 


HIGHLAND REGION. 


















Dover 


(«) 


0.7-3 


0. 90 


(«) 


-2.80 


(") 


0. 90 


1 . 60 


Chester 


0.20 


. 65 


.96 


1.70 


.20 


0.40 


.70 


.40 


Charlotfceburg 


(") 


.62 


.60 


(«) 


2.00 


(") 


. OS 


2.65 


Ringwood 


. ir> 


.70 


.95 


.4.-) 


1.90 


.06 


.54 


1.81 


RED SANDSTONE PLAIN. 


















Paterson 


. 62 


.61 


1.10 


3.03 


.20 


1.15 


.05 


1.39 


Hanover . . 


.27 


. 77 


.90 


<") 


3.30 


.75 


.65 


1 . 60 


Rivervale . . . . 


CM 


1 . 58 


L.30 


(") 


2.30 


(") 


1.60 


.75 


R( iseland 


.10 


. 55 


.74 


1 . l',4 


1 . 20 


.61 


.81 


1 . 25 


Newark 


.12 


. 40 


1 . 30 


K a ) 


1.28 


. 55 


.60 


1.10 


South Orange 


(") 


.60 


1.00 


1 . 64 


.20 


.78 


.30 


1.13 


New York City 


.19 


.54 


.93 


1.02 


1.47 


.19 


.98 


.42 


Plainfield 


.18 
.36 


.61 

. 53 


1.72 
1.60 


1.21 


1.33 
2.70 


.34 

.60 


.88 
.64 


1 . 35 


Elizabeth 


1.40 






Average 


.91 


.68 


1.08 


.82 


1.61 


. 15 


.74 


1.30 







" Included in record for following day. 

Examination of the two tables above set forth shows clearly, first, 
that the month of February, 1902, was characterized by heavy pre- 
cipitation, which exceeded the normal, and at many stations to an 
extraordinary degree; second, the precipitation occurred on eight 
days of the month, and by far the largest part of it on the 17th, 21st, 
22d, 25th, 26th, and 28th. Closer examination will show that the pre- 
cipitation at the stations within the Passaic Basin was heavier than 
at the stations outside of the same, and while the latter undoubtedly 
served to steady the general average, they also make an actual reduc- 
tion when computed with the former. Therefore there can be no 
question that the adoption of the general average for all the stations 
as a measure of the amount of precipitation in the Passaic Valley is 
safe and conservative. 

Our interest chiefly centers upon the last twelve days of the month; 
that is, from the 17th to the 28th, inclusive. During that period there 
was a fall of 6 inches over the whole basin. This average will not 
serve in any calculation of the relation of run-off to the rainfall dur- 
ing the flood, because of the fact that there were so wide differences 
in the amount of precipitation in places not wideby distant from one 
another. The average of 6 inches over the whole basin is but an 
approximation and does not represent accurately the actual amount 

irb 88—03 3 



34 THE PASSAIC FLOOD OF LQ02. [no.88. 

of water precipitated, hence any estimal ion of t he proporl ion of rain- 
fall to run-off must be precarious and, in all probability, incorrect. 

The character of this enormous precipitation as it. fell is an impor- 
tant consideration. The heavy snow of the 17th, equivalent to L.08 
inches, had not melted to any extent by the -1st and 22d, when it was 
reenforced by a destructive sleet equivalent to 2.43 inches over the 
drainage area, and at some stations to over 3 inches. There was a 
general rise of temperature on the 23d and 24th, during which a small 
amount of snow was melted, and about the same temperature was 
maintained during the 25th and 26th, on which days the total precipi- 
tation was 1.19 inches. On the 28th there was a short but tremendous 
downfall, amounting to 1.22 inches, and at the end of this storm the 
snow of the 17th had practically all disappeared. This means that 
from the 23d to the 28th, or during six days, nearty 6 inches of water 
were heaped upon the Passaic Basin, the greater proportion of which 
fell or was released through the melting of snow during the last four 
days. 

GAGE HEIGHTS. 

A precipitation so great and so rapidly delivered over an area the 
surface of which was frozen could not fail to produce extraordinary 
results. We find that on the Upper Passaic River, at Chatham, the 
water began to rise on Thursday, February 27, reaching a maximum 
on the afternoon of Saturday, March 1. On the Whippany River, at 
Whippany Village near the mouth, the water began to rise on Friday 
about noon and reached a maximum at 10 o'clock p. m. on the same 
day, falling almost immediately. On the Rockaway River at Boon- 
ton (see PI. VII, A) occurred the highest water since February 0, 1896, 
when the recorded height was 6 feet above the crest of the Boonton 
dam. On the present occasion the rise of water began on the after- 
noon of Friday, February 28, and reached its highest point March 1 
at 3 a. in., at 5.55 feet above the crest. For seven hours, beginning 
on February 28 at 8 p. m., the rise was 2 inches per hour. The 
appreciable decline in flood' flow began Monday, March :>, and by 
March 4 the water had lowered to 1 foot over the dam crest. 

At the feeder of the Morris Canal at Pompton Plains, below the 
.junction of Pequanac, Wanaque, and Ramapo rivers, the following 
gage readings were reported by Mr. L. M. LeFevre: 

Height of water of feeder of Morris Canal. 

l'Vct. 

February 28, 4 p. m ... -- ..4.4 

March 1, 6.10 a. m T. 4 

March 2. 5.10 p. m 5.4 

March 3, 2.30 p. m 5.5 

March 4. 2.20 p. in 4.2 

March 5. 7.40 a. in 3. 9 

March 6, 4.10 p. m 8.4 

March T. 6.50 a. m . .... 2. 

March 8. 1.20 p. in - - - 2.0 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



ATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 88 PL. VIII 




A. MEASUREMENT STATION AT STANLEY ON PASSAIC RIVER. 




B. MEASUREMENT STATION AT WHIPPANY ON WHIPPANY RIVER. 



HOLLISTER AN 
LEIGHTON 



N.J 



GAGE HEIGHTS. 



35 



On the Ramapo River at Pompton Furnace the highest water was 

observed a1 6 p. m. on .March I. where it reached 4.1 feet above the 
dam crest. The combined flow of the Wanaque and Pequanac rivers 
was measured al the Van Ness farmhouse in Pompton Plains, and 
indicated a beginning of rise on February 28 in the early afternoon, 
reaching a maximum on .March 1 shortly before noon. The high 
water was maintained fairly steady during March 1 and 2 and by 
March 5 had retreated within its banks. 

The great volume of water poured out upon the central basin raised 
the level to such a height at Two Bridges, the junction of the Passaic 
and Pompton rivers, that the gages maintained there by the Division 
of Hydrography were submerged and the water flowed around the 
bridges and inundated the neighboring fields. 



a 









s2 





ro s 


*a 








Oj-N 


Scu 


SOh 


£T 


a« 


ss 



.a 



08 M 



C8 0h 



Feet. 

Ill 





























































y^ s' 


I s~ 

y 














•■-y<^.y 


/ 








S. 


V. 























Pig. 5. Diagram of gage readings a1 Little Falls and Dundee dam during flood of 1902. 

Al Little Falls and at Dundee dam, just above Passaic, gage read- 
ings have been preserved and are diagrammatically shown in fig. 5. 

A. brief description of the two dams and the conditions surround- 
ing them will be desirable in connection with the consideration of 
fig. 5. The Tattle Falls dam is constructed with I wo wings adjoining 
the main dam. which occupies a transverse position across the center 
of the stream. Fig. 6 shows the plan of the site to good advantage, 
while the general appearance during flood is faithfully represented in 
PI. IV, A. The main dam is 160 feet in length, with an elevation of 
157. is above tide; the north wing is 04 feet long and has an elevation 
of 157. si feet, while the south wing, constructed parallel to the chan- 
nel, is r>l feet long, the crest being at an elevation 157.56 feet above 
tide. The dam at Dundee is built of stone, the crest being 21 feet 



36 



THE PASSAIC FLOOD <>K 1902. 



[HO. 88. 



above mean tide. It is 480 feet in Length and has a width of 3 feet at 
the crest, holding hack a pond of 224 acres. (See PI. VII, B.) 



m^> 



166 




\ 



X 



\ \ 



\ 



V 



.# 



,\ 



"\: 



MS 



V& 



rf.'. 



->4i 



— /5/- 



._£/-- 




BEATTIE MFG. CO. 



MAIN ST. 



50 



Scale 

50 100 



■J I 



/V.1&' 



/ / 






150 ft. 



Fig. 6.— Plan of Beattie's dam. Little Falls. 
FLOOD FLOW OF HIGHLAND TRIBUTARIES. 

From the records of two series of current-meter measurements 
taken at different gage heights during the two weeks following the 
flood, and the marks made by eyewitnesses during the flood period, 



HOLLISTER 

I.EIG 



jhton?] flood flow of highland tributaries. 



37 



rating tables have been constructed for each of the Highland tribu- 
taries which seem to bear the test of reasonable analysis and to fur- 
nish valuable information concerning the discharge of the various 
streams. This discharge in second-feel for six-hour periods during 
the flood — that is, from February 25 to March 9 — is set forth in the 
table below. 

Average flow in second-feet of Highland tributaries during six-Jiour periods,, 
February 25 to March 9, 1902. 



Date. 


Time of day. 


Upper 
Passaic/' 


Whip- 
pany. 


Rocka- 
way. 


Pequa- 
nac, 


Wa- 
naque. 


Ramapo. 


Total. 


February 26. 


12 6 a. m 


134 


it.") 


185 


111) 


148 


216 


888 




6-12 a. m 


218 


155 


a 12 


185 


239 


351 


1,450 




12- (i p. m 


379 


27(1 


520 


322 


416 


573 


2,4.80 




6 12 p. m .... 


52:i 


372 


725 


444 


574 


842 


3,480 


February 27 


12 6a.m 


560 


430 


800 


50 


650 


850 


3, 71 




(i 12 a. m..._. 


590 


190 


(■CO 


650 


745 


865 


4, 11)0 




12- 6 p. m 


625 


550 


900 


SIMI 


954 


880 


4,7n'.l 




6 12 i>. in ... 


650 


610 


1,000 


970 


1,145 


891 1 


5. 265 


February 28. 


12- 6 a. m 


67(1 


650 


1,050 


1,000 


1,237 


900 


5,507 




6 12 a. m 


700 


712 


1,300 


1,440 


1 , 745 


1,200 


7,097 




12- 6 p. m 


728 


846 


L,436 


1,660 


2,300 


1,700 


8,670 




6-12 p. m .... 


875 


1,071 


1,636 


2.225 


2,600 


3,100 


11,507 


March 1 


12- 6 a. m 


1,050 


1,505 


2. 535 


2,: 2.5 


3,050 


4,400 


15.2:5 




6 12 a. m 


1,440 


1.470 


2.780 


3,350 


3, 9IK) 


5,000 


17,040 




12 tip. m .... 


1,630 


1,430 


2, 780 


3,900 


3,900 


5,150 


18,790 




6 I2p.m .... 


1,630 


1,380 


2.7SII 


4,215 


3,900 


5,225 


19, 130 




12 (la. m 


1,600 


1,340 


2,780 


4,280 


3,110(1 


5.280 


19, 180 




6 12 a. in 


1,550 


1,300 


2, : so 


4,350 


3,900 


5,120 


111.000 




12 6 ]>. ni 


1,500 


1,260 


.2,780 


4,330 


3, 525 


4.000 


17,395 




6 12 p. m .... 


1,440 


1,220 


2.780 


4,0511 


3.075 


3, 450 


16.015 


March 3 


12 6 a. in 


1,400 


1,180 


2,527 


3,400 


2,875 


5,050 


14.432 




6-12 a. m 


1,355 


1,140 


8,690 


3, 275 


2,750 


2,850 


14,060 




12- 6p.m .... 


1,310 


1,100 


2,645 


3, 150 


2, 675 


2,780 


13,660 




6-12 p. m .... 


1 . 251 1 


1,060 


2,565 


3,050 


2,490 


2,790 


13.205 


March 4 


12- 6 a. m 


1,200 


1.0.20 


2.400 


2,825 


3,300 


2.7811 


12,525 




6-12 a. m ... 


1,155 


980 


2,420 


2,625 


2,100 


2.760 


12.010 




12- 6 p. in 


1,090 


V140 


2,360 


2,400 


1,900 


2,720 


11,410 




6 12 p. m .... 


1,045 


900 


2,295 


2,200 


1,725 


2. 1120 


10,785 


Marcb 5 


12- 6 a in 


1,000 


860 


2,220 


2,000 


1, 500 


2, 5: id 


10,110 




6-12 a. m 


960 


810 


2,150 


1 , 775 


1,350 


2.370 


9,415 




12 6 i>. m 


905 


760 


.2.085 


1,600 


1,245 


2,250 


8,845 




li 12 ]> in 


845 


710 


2.015 


1. 110 


1,1.50 


2, 120 


8,280 


March 6 


12 li a in 


800 


660 


1,940 


1,330 


1,060 


1,1160 


7.7.50 




6 12 .i m 


750 


610 


1.870 


1,210 


1,000 


1,810 


7,280 




1.2 li p. in 


700 


520 


1.8115 


1 200 


•140 


1.7(H) 


6,865 




6 12 p. in 


650 


490 


1.710 


1. mi 


800 


1,6.50 


6,470 


March 7 


12 li a in .... 


600 


440 


l.r.70 


1.100 


.sim 


1,600 


6,210 




6- 12 a. in ... 


550 


390 


1,605 


1,080 


760 


1.650 


6,035 




12- 6 p. in 


500 


340 


1,535 


1,065 


750 


1.600 


5,790 




li 12 p. m 


450 


300 


1 , 465 


1.055 


785 


1,620 


5, 675 


March 8 


12 6a.m 


400 


260 


1,400 


1,050 


780 


1,660 


5. 551 1 




6 12 a. m 


350 


210 


1,335 


1.050 


811 


1 700 


5. 456 




12 lip. Ill 


300 


hill 


1 865 


1,060 


iir.ii 


1,750 


5. 155 


March 9 


12 6 ;l 111 


250 


160 


1.1.25 


1.075 


1,100 


1,800 


5.510 



" At Chatham. 



Total runoff, 8,960,248,000 cubic feet. 



38 THE PASSAIC FLOOD OK 1902. [N0.88. 

The measurement stal ion established upon i he Upper Passaic River 
ai the village of Stanley, aear Chatham, is shown on PL VIII, .1. It 
lies about 300 led below I lie Stanley dam, which was carried away 
during the Hood. No appreciable overflow of the banks occurred, and 
the results obtained by current-meter measurements are trustworthy. 
After the destruction of the dam the millrace carried no water, and 
there was therefore no necessity for taking the race discharge into 
account,. The station established at Whippany Village, near the 
mouth of Whippany River (PI. VIII, B), is probably the least satis- 
factory of the Highland stations. During the heighl of the Mood the 
water left the banks of the stream and overflowed the road for a few 
hours. r ldie time limits and the depth of water so overflowed were, 
however, accurately observed and the measurements are sufficiently 
trustworthy for the present purposes. 

The station on tne Rocka way River, about 2} miles below Boonton, 
was established on a cross section of the channel, in the center of 
which an island is situated, necessitating the measurement of two 
channels (see PL IX, ^4). The records obtained at this point do not 
include the entire flow of Rockaway drainage area, as the station is 
about 7 miles above the watershed limits. A large part of this area, 
however, is included in the wet lands described in the introduction, 
over which the water rose during the flood. This station, although 
serving fairly well .in high water, is useless dining dry seasons, and 
it has since been abandoned. 

The measurements upon the Pequanac River are more trustworthy 
than those on any other highland tributary, because accurate gage 
readings were maintained by the water department of the city of 
Newark, at the Macopin dam during the entire flood period (see PL IX, 
B). This dam has been accurately rated by Mr. John R. Freeman, 
and the results of weir measurements can be depended upon. Addi- 
tional measurements were also made with the current meter at the 
New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad bridge, a few miles 
above the mouth of the river. The combination of the two series 
serve to give an approximately correct estimation of flow in the 
Pequanac River during the flood. In the table on page 37 the stated 
How of the Pequanac River embraces only that volume of water which 
actually passed into the Pompton, and does not include the daily 
draught of 371 second-feet for the supply of the city of Newark, 
withdrawn at the Macopin intake. 

A short distance above the mouth of the Wanaque the channel 
forks, and the two divisions are crossed by a highway bridge built 
in two sections to conform with the channels (see PI. X, A and B). 
The distribution of the flow of Wanaque River into two comparatively 
wide channels gives shallow water even during floods, and the broken, 
uneven surface on the bottom renders good current-meter measure- 
ments somewhat hard to obtain. 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 88 PL. IX 




NEAR BOONTON. 



w 













i>. MACOPIN D/ 



HOU Shton D ] FLOOD FLOW AT LITTLE FALLS. 39 

The measuremenl station on the Ramapo was located near the 
mouth of the river on a highway bridge just below Pompton Falls 
(PI. VI, -I). The channel here is deep and well defined, and the 
measurements given in the table are trustworthy. The flow of water 
in the raceway running from the head of Pompton Falls has been 
measured and proper allowance therefor has been made in the table. 

A study of the table on page 37 will show that in each of the High- 
land tributaries the rise of water during the flood was rapid and the 
crest was not long sustained, recedence following almost as quickly 
as the rise. The combined flow of the tributaries must, therefore, 
during a short period, have been enormous, and it is readily inferred 
1 hat a channel of great capacity would have been necessary i n order to 
carryaway immediately the waters delivered into the central basin. It 
has been stated, however, that the channel at Little Falls is a narrow 
one and is artificially constricted by the aqueduct of the Morris Canal, 
as shown in PI. VI, B. The area contributing to the flow of the High- 
land tributaries is approximately Wk~2 square miles, or 82.2 per cent 
of the total area above Little Falls. The run-off from the remaining 
17. s per cent could not be measured and can be estimated only by 
taking the proper proportion of the entire run-off of the area. Hear- 
ing this in mind, let us consider briefly the flow of water over Beattie's 
dam at Little Falls, a plan of which is shown in fig. (5. 

FLOOD FLOW AT LITTLE FALLS. 

The rating table for Beattie's dam consists of three parts, which are 
adjusted to conform with the conditions existing at the main dam and 
the north and south wings. Back of the main dam the river has been 
filled with stone to a considerable distance, affording a very gradual 
slope forward from the bottom of the stream to the crest of the dam, 
the grade being approximately 5 to 1. Bazin's series for wide-crested 
weirs was used in the flow calculations at tins point, the coefficients 
which appeared to be most applicable being those determined in Cor- 
nell University Experiment No. •'!, under the date of May 26, L899. 
The north and south banks have vertical faces, the crest in each case 
beingabout 7 feet from the bottom of the stream. The series of Bazin 
most nearly conforming to these conditions is No. 114, developed for 
greater heads at Cornell University June 1, 1899, and denoted as 
Experiment No. to. 

Calculating the How of water over Little Falls dam during the Mood 
period, the results diagramatically represented in ii'j;. 7 are secured. 

Inspect ion of the accompanying diagram doesnol reveal any unusual 
characteristics. It is a conventional flow curve such as is usually found 
upon investigation of any Mood. The rise of water is considerably 
sharper than the decline, and the height of the flood is maintained 
for a considerable period, arriving at an apex at noon on March -2. It 
will be noted that the (low curve is ended with the value for .March !) 
at a. in. This is because a second rise in the waters took place 



40 



THK PASSAIC FLOOD OF 1902. 



[NO. 88. 



as a result of a storm which was entirely distinct from those which 
occasioned the Hood under discussion. PI. V, .4 and B shows clearly 



3« 



~ le-4 
■>'£ 


SSS 


"S 




c '.s 


"|S 


•^Oh 


-ex 


S8«i 


So-i 


SU- 
SS 






a* 




Fio. 



-Flow of Passaic River over Beattie's darn at Little Falls February 25 to March 9, 1902. 

the comparative conditions existing in the gorge during low water and 
at the time of the flood under consideration. It will be seen that the 



& 



%% 


«^ 


~s 


-?* 


-On 




Pn« 


fo2 


«-■£> 



c«Ph 



3^ 
S2 









Sec. -ft. 
25,000 



20,000 



10,000 



5,000 











































/ 


r — v 

il 


\ 
\ 
\ 


\-\ 

\A 

\r 

V 












il 
if 

ij 




^3 






















^ \ 


"^■-.._^S 






^—^ 

















Fk;. 8.— Comparative diagram of the flow from Highland tributaries into the central basin of 
tlic Passaic and the flow from Beattie's dam at Little Falls. 

rise here is considerably greater than over Beattie's dam, a short dis- 
tance above, denoting a carrying capacity even less than the dam. 



HOJ.LTSTER A 
I.EIGHTO 



3 N X D ] FLOOD STATISTICS IN HIGHLAND TRIBUTARIES. 



41 



Having now considered the flow of water from the Highland tribu- 
taries into the central basin through Little Fallsgorge during the flood 
period, it will be instructive to compare the two How curves and show 
the relations, so far as possible, between the flow of the water into the 
basin on the one hand and the flow out on the other. 

Inspection of the table on page 37 indicates that the rush of water 
from the Highland tributaries into the central basin during the crucial 
part of the flood was greater than the flow of the river at Little Falls. 
This condition is indicated from '■} p. m. on February 28 to 12 m. on 
March 1. It is clear that if, to this flow from Highland tributaries, 
we add the estimated run-off not represented in the Highland tribu- 
tary curve, the excess of water delivered upon the central basin dur- 
ing this short period, over that passed through the Little Fallsgorge, 
would be still greater. It is interesting to note that the excess of 
flow at Little Falls indicated in the diagram, during the period between 
12 o'clock noon on March 1 and 6 o'clock p. m. on March 7 is nearly 
equal to the calculated flow from the central basin, the 17.8 per cent 
of the drainage area above Little Falls not represented in the High- 
land tributary curve. It should also be borne in mind that in the 
central basin the precipitation causing this flood was heavier than 
elsewhere in the surrounding country,** and this would in a large 
degree compensate for the excess which still appears after deducting 
the calculated flow of the 17.8 per cent from the excess of the Little 
Falls readings over those of the combined Highland tributaries.' 

Considering fig. 8 as it. stands, however, it gives clear testimony 
that until a certain height of water was raised over the central basin, 
inducing, of course, a heavy pressure upon the outlet at Little Falls, 
the gorge did not carry anything like the amount, which was subse- 
quent ly observed to be flowing over Beattie's dam. 

GENERAL FLOOD-FLOW STATISTICS IN HIGHLAND TRIBUTARIES. 

In the table below are given the general flood-How statistics in 
Highland tributaries: 

General flood flow in Highland tributaries. 



Measurement station. 


Percent- 
age of con 
Contribut- tributing 
inK drain- area to to- 
Ht;e area. tal above 

Little 

Falls. 


Total run-off 

tor each st.-i 

tion. 


Run-off 
per square 

mile. 


Run-off 
in inches 
on water 

shed. 


Passaic, at Chatham 


Sq. miles. 

99. 8 
56.9 

1:.'.">. t 
st.s 
109.6 

1(50.7 


1 :.'.!( 
7.6 
16.6 
10. 9 
14.2 

XI). s 


( 'at, a \, , l . 
825,847,200 
716,364,000 
1,737,841,600 
1,829,352,600 
i, 645, 25 !. li K) 
2,205,619,200 


Cubic feet. 
8,275,022 
12,281,510 
13,850,411 
21,572,240 
15,011, 111 
13,725,073 


:i 5 


Whippany, at Whippany 

Rockaway, below Boon ton 


5. 5 
") 9 


Pequauae, below Bl( >omiugdale 

Wanaque, at Pompton 

Ramapo, at Pompton Lake 


9.3 

5.8 
5. <» 



"See table cm p. :« 



42 



THE PAS9 \1< FLOOD OF 1902. 



[NO. 8S. 



SUBMERGED LANDS IN CENTRAL BASIN. 

Among the notable features of i he flood were the effects of the rush 
of water into the central basin, the submerged area, 32,000 acres, 
being of unusual extent. It will be observed by inspection of the 
shaded portions of PI. XI thai the impounded waters were divided 

into two distinct areas. The widely extended and irregular tract 
embracing what is known as the Greal Piece Meadow, Troy. Black 
and Long meadows, Hatfield Swamp, and the Bog and VTy meadows 
has an area of 22,746 acres, while the Greal Swamp, situated 
farther to the south and divided from the former accumulation of 
water by the terminal moraine, has an area of 9,376 acres. There 
is Little question that the Hooded area shown on PI. XI was not 
entirely covered al one time. The water firs! collected in the upper 






§S 



- - 



S»S 


,s 


.-. 


.s 


/-■ 


.H 


,?. 


.a 


-z. 


--< 


8« 


Soi 


? — 


-< 


- •■ 


3& 


£s 


9 c 


£3 


r-.~ 


-.11 


9c 


s 


9 c 




Iii.ium 



Pio. 9. Flow of Pasaaic River over Dundee dam February 86 to March 9, 1908. 



portions of the swamp land, and there was considerable slope toward 
the outlet at Little Falls. In the latter stages of the flood there was 
a greater area of submerged land near the outlet, while there had been 
a noticeable recedence above. The Hooded lands will be further dis- 
cussed under the section dealing with damages caused by the flood. 

The point of Mow measurement next below Little Kails is at Dundee 
dam, a diagrammatic representation of the gage heights of which was 
giveu in fig. 9. The dam has already been partly described. It 
extends directly across the bed of the stream, and the upper and 
lower faces slope from the crest. On the upper face of the dam there 
is a fairly uniform grade of 2-1 t<> the river bottom, while on the 
lower face the dam is built up of sixteen consecutive steps, with 1-foot 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 88 PL. X 




A. GAGING STATION NO. 1 ON WANAQUE RIVER AT POMPTON. 




B. GAGING STATION NO. 2 ON WANAQUE RIVER AT POMPTON. 



HOI. LISTER A 

LEIGHTON 



ND-1 
IN. J 



FLOOD FLOW AT DUNDEE DAM. 



43 



risers and 1-fool treads. This gives a slope of 1-1, 1ml on account of 
the deterring effect of the steps during flood flow the coefficient to 
be applied in determining the volume of water passing over the dam 
must necessarily conform, to that determined for a batter of gentler 
slope. The coefficients selected were those promulgated in Cornell 
University Experiment No. 8, dated May 30, 1899, which is an adapta- 
tion of the Bazin series No. 7S for greater heads. Fig. 9 shows dia- 
grammatically the flow over Dundee dam during the Mood of L902. 

FLOOD FLOW AT DUNDEE DAM. 

Examination of the above flow curve reveals that there are pecul- 
iarities in the rise of the flood not noted in the flow curve for l>eat- 
tie's dam, namely, two decided checks in the progress of the flood. 
From the examination of similar curves for previous Hoods over this 









.r-< 


• 3 


.s 


^ 


oS-1* 


as 


Soi 


go; 


g« 


?r 


H«° 


S3 



3«c 



sea 



r-. - 



.'.(•('.-ft. 

85,000 



l.Vim 



10,000 



























/ / 


^^z 


v\ 

\\ 














if 

i 
il 




\\ 

\ 










i 


f $ 








\ \ 

\\ 

\\ 
V 








$ 


' sty 








\ 


\ 
\ 


N 


/ 


/ 


/ 
/ 


s*' 

















Fig. 10.— Flood flow curves over Beattie's and Dundee dams showing relations. 

dam, checks of this nature appear to be a characteristic feature, the 
cause of which has not been definitely determined, it has been sug- 
gested that the decrease in the How in former floods has been caused 
by the onrush of water from Pompton River which, as has been 
explained, Hows into the central basin with the combined discharge 
of the Ramapo, Wanaque, and Pequanac rivers from steep grades, 
thus delivering its waters before those of the more sluggish Passaic 
can descend its sinuous course, and that when the force of the flood 
in the Pompton expends itself there is a temporary check in the prog- 
ress of the rise of waters below. However true this may he in the 
case of other floods, it certainly does not apply in this instance. 
There is no evidence from the examination of the flow curve at Little 
Falls that any such phenomenon occurred, and what is more convine- 



44 THE PARSAIO FLOOD OF 1902. [no. 88. 

ing, the check took place nearly two days before the flow from the 
Pompton River had reached its maximum. It is extremely probable 
thai these peculiarities in the rise of Hie Hood are the result of the 
run-off from the area between Little Palls and Dundee dam. It is 
naturally a quick-spilling area, having been divested of forests and 
containing a comparatively large expanse of macadamized roads and 
paved streets. The large city of Paterson and the surrounding area 
empties its entire run-off into the Passaic, and this in itself would 
have some effect upon the rate of increase after ureal precipitation. 

Comparison of the flow curves in fig. 10 seems to support the con- 
tention advanced concerning the cause of the temporary checks in the 
progress of the Hood curve over Dundee dam. It is expected that the 
increase in the flow over Little Falls dam would be a practically con- 
staid one because of the steadying effect of the great storage afforded 
by the meadow lands, and the steady rise in the Little Falls curve 
bears out this idea. The Dundee curve, on the other hand, shows at 
the beginning every indication of a flashy, quick-spilling contributing 
area, t he effects of which are not overcome unl il the flood has advanced 
to within one day of its maximum. At that time the steady pressure 
from Little Falls seems to give more character to the Dundee curve, 
and the remainder of the diagram is conventional. It will be noted 
that the apex of the Little Falls curve falls twelve hours before that 
of Dundee dam, which is about the time which might be expected 
to ensue when we consider the comparatively large storage capacity 
afforded by Dundee Lake. 

FLOOD BELOW DUNDEE DAM. 

The action of the flood waters below Dundee dam was sufficiently 
different from those in the valley above this point to warrant special 
mention. 

The physical character of the valley from the dam to the mouth of 
the river is strikingly different from that- of its other sections. As 
has been stated, it consists of, first, a short reach of 4 miles through 
the city of Passaic, with a total drop of <> feet. At this point the river 
turns sharply and returns to its former direction in a broad S-shaped 
bend. This peculiar bend is significant in connection with the sup- 
posed change of the stream's course during Glacial time. It also has 
a bearing on Hood conditions in that it lies in a fiat basin-like widen- 
ing of the valley, and high waters, especially such as come with much 
force, are forced to leave the channel and invade the surrounding 
low-lying territory. The second distinguishing feature is that below 
this point the river becomes a tidal estuary 13^ miles in length, and 
lies in a constricted valley which becomes narrower as the mouth of 
the river is approached. At Passaic, Belleville, and Newark docks 
have been constructed, which still further decrease the natural width 
of the channel, and in addition to them a number of railway and 



U. 8. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 88 PL. XII 




A. DAM ON PEQUANAC RIVER NEAR POMPTON. 




li SUBMERGED FLAT LANDS AT SINGAC. 



HOLLISTER A 
LEIGHTI 



^] FLOOD DISCHARGE OF SADDLE KIVER. 45 



highway bridges have been built across the stream, which by piers 
and abutments more or less obstruct the flow. 

In tli is section of the valley population is dense, and with the single 
exception of the low-lying portion of the city Of Paterson manufac- 
turing and other interests arc more seriously affected by high water 
than elsewhere upon the watershed. 

'Idic waters of the lower riverfairly followed the gage heights at 
Dundee dam during the first part of the flood. On February 27 the 
waters were high; on the 28th they had arisen above the right bank 
at Passaic bridge and flooded the highway at this point. On March 1 
the flats situated above Wellington and the areas adjacent to the 
river on both sides for several miles below were flooded. On this and 
the following day water rose above the floors of the highway bridges 
at Passaic, Rutherford, Avendale, and Belleville, and these bridges 
were iii great danger of being carried away, while the bridge at Pas- 
saic, just below Dundee dam, was lifted from its foundations and 
completely wrecked (PL XV, B.) This danger was much Increased by 
the amount of debris, especially in the form of driftwood from lumber 
yards, which became lodged against- the piers and bridge spans. The 
Erie Railroad bridge at Passaic was threatened and trainloads of 
heavy iron and coal were placed upon it to add to its stability. On 
March :! and the days following the waters gradually subsided until 
the normal stage was resumed. 

FLOOD FLOW OF SADDLE RIVER. 

In connection with the flood in the lower valley should be consid- 
ered the discharge of the Saddle River, which enters the Passaic just 
opposite the city of that name. Although this stream joins the main 
trunk below the dam at Dundee, where one of the main flow compu- 
tations was made, and though its volume was not included in the 
discharge curves given above, it still seemed to have an influence in 
swelling the volume of the waters near Passaic and Wellington and 
increasing the damage done at these points. 

From evidence seeiired at Boetger Piece Dye Works at Lodi, the 
Saddle River began to rise on Friday, February 28, at about 6 p. m. It 
rose steadily until Saturday morning, March 1, between 2 and 3 o'clock, 
remaining high until 7 a. m. of the same day. By 5 o'clock p. m. on 
Saturday. March 1, the waters had receded within their banks, and 
gradually declined in volume for the next five or six days. 

No measurement was made of its flood discharge, but on April 12, 
1902, a current -meter measurement showed 221 second-feet flowing at 
Lodi, the water at the time of the flood being 7.6 feet higher than at 
the time of the measurement. 

The flood on this river closely resembled previous floods in rising and 
retiring quickly, and the crest of its flood wave reached 1 he main stream 
before the waters from the other tributaries entered the lower valley. 

Although the flood crest of Saddle River did not play an important 



41) THE PASSAIC FLOOD OF VM)2. [ho.88. 

part in the Hood on the main stream, its subsequent discharge, much 
Largerthan usual, coming in conjunction with the rising waters of the 
main si ream, must have had its effect in increasing the damage in the 
Wallington-Passaie district. 

At Passaic Bridge near the southern extremity of the flat extension 
of the valley just mentioned the main line of the Erie railroad crosses 
the Hats on an elevated embankment and passes over the river on a 
drawbridge. This bridge has two piers in the river, as shown on PI. 
I, A. Each of these piers is surrounded by piling which in times of 
high water catches much floating debris and acts as a temporary 
obstruction to the current. The distance from the abutment on the 
right bank to the main pier, that- which supports the draw, is 209 feet 
and from the main pier to the abutment on the left bank, 81.5 feet. 
West of the main abutment, as seen on the left of PI. I, A, a high- 
way passes beneath the elevated tracks through a masonry culvert (JO 
feet wide at the base. The entire discharge from the watershed of over 
a thousand square miles is obliged to pass through these openings, 
which have a total width of 350.5 feet, and which in very high water 
are more or less contracted by the lodgment of debris against the 
piers. During the flood under discussion the water rose over the road- 
way shown on the left of PI. I, A, and stood for some time above the 
level of the stone walls seen on the extreme left. The high- water 
mark on the. bridge itself was about half way up on the middle drum 
of the draw plainly seen above the piling in the picture. 

HIGH-WATER MARKS IN LOWER VALLEY. 

By the courtesy of Mr. Robert M. Watson, of Wise & Watson, engi- 
neers, of Passaic, N. J., we are permitted to use the following levels 
taken at the time of high w r ater at different points from Passaic to 

Belleville : 

High-water marks in lower valley. 

[Elevations given are reduced to the State's datum. 1 Elevation 

in feet. 

At Enameline's Works, southerly corner of Seventh and Worthen streets 

(Dundee district) , in city of Passaic, near right hank Passaic River- . . 15. 85 

In engine room Passaic Lumber Company's mill, northerly corner Lester 
and Scott streets, in borough of Wallington, Bergen County, N. J 15. 50 

On northwesterly fence Standard Bleachery property, at a point about 200 
feet northeast of Erie Railroad at Carlton Hill. Bergen County. N. J 15. 98 

On office building of Anderson Lumber Company, on right bank Passaic 
River, near foot of Gregory avenue, in the city of Passaic (and on River 
Road) 14.48 

< hi entrance to Pagoda Hotel, near right bank of Passaic River on River 
Road, and about 150 feet southwest of Erie Railroad bridge across Passaic 
River, in the city of Passaic 13. 65 

On northwesterly corner piazza E. T. Galloway's house, at easterly corner 
River Road and Woodward avenue, in the borough of Rutherford, Ber- 
gen County, N. J . 12.51 

On Powell's front stoop, south side of Rutherford avenue, about 500 feet 

southeast of Passaic River _ _ 11. 41 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 88 PL. XIII 




A. FLOODED AREA ON GREAT PIERCE MEADOWS. 




i'. FLOOD AT TWO BRIDGES. 



HOLLISTER AN 
LEIGHTO 



n D ] HIGH-WATER MARKS IN LOWER VALLEY. 



47 



Elevation 
in feet. 



^Belletrille bridge _a.<?/ 



Atroncfa/e bridge /ch/ 



Lyndhurst 



' Rutherford 



Rutherford 12.51 



On ground at carriage entrance to William R. Traviss's estate, on Valley 
Brook avenue, near southerly corner Valley Brook and Park avenues and 
River Road, at Lyndhurst. Bergen County. N. J LI. 00 

About three inches higher than wheel guard on Avondale bridge across 
Passaic River, between Essex and Bergen counties 10.31 

Northwesterly pier Belleville bridge across Passaic River, between Essex 

and Bergen counties ( J. 21 

Fuorn these a profile of the flood 

crest has been drawn and is also 

included (ii<>'. LI). In the profile the 

heavy base Line represents the ordi- 
nary mean water level of this part 

of the river, while the flood crest is 

represented by the irregular line 

above; a1 each point where levels 

were taken profiles of cross sections 

of the valley have been inserted to 

show the extent to which waters 

overflowed- the ban ks. 

A striking feature, not brought 

out by this diagram, is found in 

eon noet ion with the levels at the 

Standard Bleachery and at Passaic 

bridge, just above and below the 

Erie Railroad bridge. The Stand- 
ard Bleachery is located on the north 

side of the Erie Railway embank- 
ment (about one-third of a mile 

back from the stream at Passaic 

bridge), and at the eastern edge 

of the flat area on the left bank 

of the river on which also stands 

the borough of Wallington. The 

Bleachery level was L5.98 feet, while 

that on the north side of the bridge 

was about 14.65 feet, as taken from 

careful Levels a few days after 

the waters had subsided. It lias 

been suggested that the high level 

at the Standard Bleachery, which 

seems to be well authenticated, 

may have been due to the onrush 

of the waters of the main stream 

together with the heavy discharge 

of Saddle River, winch forced the 

waters over the Wallington Hats 

and temporarily piled it up against the obstructed embankment and 

the rising land near which the Bleachery is situated. 



Passaic bridge south sjde\gfRR. bridge i3 65 
"StaTldard S/ea~chery and~Ene RlR bridge 14 65 



••.Passaic foot Of Gregory Ai/el l-^-i-8 



Wa//mgtoiT_ 15.50 



Passaic >5 85__ 



48 THK PA88ATC FLOOD <>F 1902. [no.88. 

The nexl l«*\*'l was taken at Passaic Bridge, but a few feel below 
the Erie bridge and embankment. This level was recorded as i:5.65 
feet, a difference between that on the north side of the bridge of 
aboul 1 fool (see fig. 11). Eyewitnesses on the ground at the time of 
the flood testified that there was a striking difference in the height of 
the water on the north and south sides of the Erie abutments, and 
that the water poured between them as over a sloping bed. 

The various section profiles of the valley accompanying fig. 11 show 
again the gradual narrowing of the valley which was before referred 
to in the general discussion of the river, and was there attributed 
to the possible change of drainage which has taken place in past 
geologic 1 hues. 

LOSSES CAUSED BY THE FLOOD. 

Moods of such magnitude as the one under discussion must of 
necessity cause great damage, but, from the varying nature of the 
losses and the circumstances surrounding them it is impossible to 
make more than an approximation of their amount. 

As might be expected, the losses were greater in the central basin 
and lower valley than on the tributaries in the Highland area, In 
the last-named sect ion, the proportion of population being small, with 
few industries centering upon the rivers, there was little opportunity 
for extensive damage. The valleys are so narrow and steep-sided 
that there was comparatively little flooding of highways and valley 
floors. One or two dams were carried away, notably that at Pompton 
on the Pequanac (PI. XII, A), and some of the highways in the 
mountain valleys were flooded. 

In the central basin the losses were much greater, being occasioned 
by extensive flooding of farm lands (see PL XIV, A and B) involv- 
ing considerable damage to stock and personal property. In many 
instances cattle and horses had to be removed to places of safety, 
and suffered much from exposure. Barns, cellars, and houses were 
flooded (see Pis. XII, B, and XIII, B) and the inmates were confined 
by the waters. The damage was furthermore much exaggerated by 
the unusual duration of the flood, the waters remaining on the flat 
lands of the basin for more than a week. 

Three railroad lines cross this portion of the Passaic watershed — 
the Morris and Essex and Boonton branches of the Delaware, Lack- 
awanna and Western Railroad and the Greenwood Lake Branch of 
the Erie Railroad. The first two lines traverse the basin for the most- 
part at altitudes higher than the level of the flooded area; but the 
Greenwood Lake Branch runs for several miles over a section of the 
flat lands and was much affected by the flood conditions. The tracks 
of this road were Hooded above Singac, also at Mountainview and 
below Pompton Plains. The water reached the ties of its bridge 
across the Passaic at Signac and the structure was only held in place 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 88 PL. XIV 




A. FLOODED FARMHOUSE IN CENTRAL BASIN. 





i i 




/ 

M 




■\ 


y / 


^HJ 




' /L 


L/ IHbf 


|y\'i 




->. w 


/■^n JUUdIv 


MA 1 J 


^<jLf \2%fJl 


n 




'' Si 


X w^^A^tH^ — ' 












H ^ '=.!.- ■" 




**» ! 




f « 







]!. FLOODED FARM LANDS IN CENTRAL BASIN. 



HOLIJSTF.K A> 
LEIGHTON 



™] LOSSES CAUSED BY THE FLOOD. 49 



by trains heavily loaded with iron and coal. .Inst above this point 
the track was washed over by the overflow from the left hank of the 
river and large portions of its gravel embankment were carried away. 
Fortunately there are no large towns located in the flooded lands of 
the upper basin, or the damage to individual property holders would 
have been much more serious. 

In addition to the injury to private property the chief damage in 
this part of the drainage area consisted in that sustained by the 
bridges from debris and floating ice, the complete suspension of travel 
by the flooding of highways, and the loss and inconvenience due to 
the interrupt ion of travel upon the railroad lines. 

Some of the highways were passable with difficulty, but many of 
those most used, especially such as run near the main stream, were 
crossed in many places by swift currents of water from 3 to 6 feet in 
depth, through which passage was impossible except, for the most 
heavily loaded wagons. 

The total area of the flooded lands, as seen by reference to the map 
of the central basin, PI. XI and various plates of the report, was 
approximately 32,000 acres. A number of dams were carried away 
on the tributaries near the edges of the central basin, notably that 
on the Passaic proper at Stanley. Fortunately the water confined by 
these structures was not enough in amount to seriously damage the 
lower portions of the valley below Little Falls, and from that point to 
the mouth of the river the damage was of a different character. 

As has been described, the valley below Little Falls is compara- 
tively narrow and thickly populated, Paterson, Passaic, and the inter- 
vening towns being closely built up to its banks. Between Paterson 
and Little Falls the roads on both sides of the stream were flooded, and 
the trolley line — much used by employees of factories at Lit tie Falls 
who reside at Paterson and depend upon the line for transportation — 
was completely blocked for several days. The pumping station of the 
Fast Jersey Water Company, located at the foot of the main drop at 
Little Falls, was considerably damaged by the vise of waters, which 
flooded its main floor to a depth of several feet, stopping all oper- 
ations and injuring the pumps and electric motors which were there 
installed. PI. VI, />', shows the water standing at a higher level than 
the floor of the pumping station as seen looking downstream under 
the viaduct of the Morris Canal. 

Belowthe main falls in Paterson the city closely confines the river 
on both banks. The left bank stretches back some distance from the 
stream as a low bench, which is built up with residences. This sec- 
tion was flooded for several blocks and remained under water a num- 
ber of days. Many houses were damaged by the water, and while 
the individual losses were not heavy, they still amounted to consid- 
erable in the aggregate. On the right bank of the river the section 
extending several blocks east of River street was under water. This 
irr 88—03 4 



50 THE PASSAIC FLOOD <>F 1902. [no.88. 

is a business portion <>f the city and considerable injury to the trade 

Of the section resulted. 

Below the Great Falls there are five bridges, some of which were 
damaged by ice and floating debris. In attempting to cross one of 
them, over which the water was flowing with great force, a horse and 
wagon was swept away and one man drowned. 

Farther down the river heavy losses were sustained in the citv of 
Passaic. This town stands on the right bank of the river, andfor 
several blocks back from the stream the land lies but a few feel above 
the ordinary river level. Here are located many factories and mills, 
together with a large factory population. The waters rose so rapidly 
onto tins bench that it was impossible for the owners to remove valu- 
able goods from the floors of their storehouses, and in consequence 
the losses were very large. It is estimated that the mill owners in 
Passaic were losers to the amount of $600,000, and that there were per- 
sonal losses from residents of the district of $200,000 more. Upward 
of 400 small shops are reported to have been flooded, the resulting 
loss to whose owners can not be estimated, for it consisted not only 
in damage done to stock but damage entailed from the length of time 
necessary to resume business. 

In and below Passaic there are situated a number of lumber yards 
on the banks of the stream. Most of the stock there located was car- 
ried away, and some of it was lodged against the piers and framework 
of bridges below, making an additional cause of danger to these 
structures, and in the case of the county bridge at Passaic, throwing 
it completely out- of position and rendering extensive repairs neces- 
sary. A large amount of lumber became lodged among the piles 
driven in front of the stone pier which supports the draw of the Erie 
Railroad bridge at Passaic. This accumulation soblockedthe passage 
of the water bet-ween the abutments of the bridge that it may have 
been to some extent- the cause of the difference of levels noted at this 
point. 

On the other side of the river and opposite the city of Passaic LS 
located a considerable settlement known as Wallington. This town 
also stands on a low river bench which marked a former bed of the 
stream. With the advancing waters the town was almost completely 
flooded, as shown by PI. XV, J, and a damage of not less than $200,000 
was sustained by the inhabitants. The foundations of the buildings, 
especially those of brick, seemed to have been undermined by the cur- 
rent which swepi around them, and the buildings were, in some 
instances, thrown out of plumb. Altogether, the damage in the 
neighborhood of Passaic could not have been less than $1,000,000, and 
probably reached a much higher figure. 

Along the lower course of the river to its mouth the immediate 
valley was Hooded, but as the valley is much narrower in this portion 
than above and has no settlements to compare in size with Passaic 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 88 PL. XV 




A. WALLINGTON DURING FLOOD. 




B. FAILURE OF BRIDGE AT PASSAIC. 



HOI.M8TEU ANH 
LEIGHTON. 



(COMPARISON Willi PREVIOUS FLOODS. 



51 



<iih1 Paterson, with the exception of the city of Newark, no great 
damage was done, though much inconvenience and several cases <>f 
severe personal loss resulted. 

It is est [mated i hat I he value of I he bridges which were swept away 
by the Hood (PI. XV, />) in various portions of the watershed 
amounts to not less than $300,000, in addition to the Losses noted 
above. 

COMPARISON WITH PREVIOUS FLOODS. 

It- will be of interest to compare the Hood of L902 in the Passaic 
Valley with those of other years. Previous to 1902 the greatesl flood 
in the Passaic River for a century, at least, occurred in September, 
1*882. Mr. C. C. Vermeule, in the Report of the Geological Survey of 

New .Jersey, Vol. TV, reports concerning this Hood as follows: 

The flood of 1882 was probably the highest of this century, consequently more 
flood marks arc preserved and a better recollection prevails of this than of other 
floods. By inquiry and comparison of data of other floods which I have obtained 

1 have 1 n able to construct a fairly accurate history of this flood. The waters 

began to rise at Dundee and Little Falls in the afternoon of the 22d, and rose 
steadily for 33 hours, when they reached 16,049 cubic feet per second. They then 
fell off for about lOhoursto 13,000 cubic feet per second, and then rose until they 
reached a maximum 66 hours alter the beginning of the rise of 18,265 cubic feel 
per second a1 Dundee and 19,100 cubic feet at Little Falls. The upper brandies 
appear to have discharged their flood waters into the central valley within 72 
hours, and to have subsided within their banks. They reached their maximum 
discharge in from 20 to 40 hours after the beginning of the rise on the Passaic. 
•In the following tables the maximum Hows are obtained from well-defined flood 
marks at dams. The total discharge is estimated to be 3.13 inches on the shed, 
as already determined. 

Below are appended the leading facts regarding the flood of 1902, 
and also regarding previous recorded Hoods, which will serve as an 
interesting basis of comparison. 

Comparative statements concerning Passaic floods, measured <tt Dundee dam. 
[Drainage urea, s:i;i . 7 square miles. | 



Date of flood. 



Dura 
tioii of 
flood 



Days. 

February 25 to March 9, 1902 .. " 12 

September 25, 1882 6 8 

December 12, 1878 &. 8 

February I I. 1886 & 8 

January 3, 1888 &.. . 8 

January 24, 1891 '' 8 

March 14, 1893 & 9 

May 6, 1893 & '. . 8 

September 21 , 1888 & 8 



Dura- 
tion of 
rise. 



Days. 
5.00 
2. 75 
2.50 
3.50 
2.80 
2. 50 
2.90 
3.00 



Maximum 
flow. 



Se< feel 
a 24, 800 
18,265 
16,592 
12,452 
11,880 
11,701 
11,245 
11,155 
11.1 26 



I >uva 

Hon of 

fall. 



Run-off: 

Inches on 

drainage 

area 



Days 

"Mm 
5 ','"> 
5.50 
5.50 
5.20 
5.50 
6. in 
5.00 
5. 25 



Tncht 



7. 1 

3. 71 
3.47 
3.00 

2. 77 
2.56 

3. r>(i 

2. ;; 

2.89 



a Estimated. 



''Prom Report of New Jersey Geological Survey. Pari III. 1894. 



52 THE PASSAIC FLOOD OF 1902. [no. 88. 

SUMMARY. 

From the foregoing discussion it is seen that the Passaic River 
is of importance, both on account of the large manufacturing inter- 
ests which depend upon it to a certain extent for power, and on 
account of the cities which use it as a source of municipal water 
supply. 

The Passaie drainage basin is peculiar in respect to its physical 
features. Unlike the ordinary habit of river systems, in which the 
tributaries join the main trunk at intervals on either side, resembling 
the veins of a leaf, the important tributaries of the Passaic deliver 
their waters to the main stream at. points not far from the middle of 
its course. They, moreover, flow from a mountainous region with rapid 
fall, and meet the main artery in a Hat, basin-like area which easily 
becomes Hooded at even ordinarily high stages of the stream. It has 
been seen that the outlet to this basin is a narrow gorge at Little 
Falls, restricted at its lower end by a masonry viaduct, and that in 
times of very high water the gorge is too small to accomodate the dis- 
charge of the river, and extensive flooding of the basin above results. 
It has been observed that the low-lying portions of Paterson, Passaic, 
and the neighboring towns on the banks of the river in its lower course 
are subject to overflow during high freshets, which damage not only 
individual householders, but also the large manufacturing interests 
there located. The striking physical relations of the lower valley 
have also been touched upon, namely, that there is a gradual narrow- 
ing of the valley as the mouth is approached, which seems to have 
congested the outlet of flood waters in this portion of the drainage 
area. 

With regard to the conditions preceding and accompanying the 
flood of 1902, it has been observed that during the latter part of Feb- 
ruary of that year approximately <> inches of precipitation, composed 
of melted snow, sleet, and rain, were released upon the frozen drain- 
age area, and that much of this water passed rapidly into the streams. 

It was also seen that the mountain tributaries discharged large 
volumes into the central basin, flooding approximately 32,000 acres 
of its area and doing considerable damage to farming and railroad 
interests there located. 

As indicated from gage heights, the rise of water began at Dundee 
dam about 6 p. m. on February 25, and, after subsiding slightly on 
February 26 and 28, reached its maximum of approximately 24,800 
second-feet on March 2. The flow curve of the flood over Little Falls 
dam was quite similar to that at Dundee dam, the apex of the former 
occurring a few hours before that of the latter. 

In regard to the damage done by the flood, the most general esti- 
mates only can be made, but in Passaic and vicinity, the section which 
probably suffered most severely, $1,000,000 is thought to be a small 
approximation of the losses sustained. 



HOLUSTER AND 
LEIGHTON 



>] THE FLOOD OF 1902. 53 



CONCLUSIONS. 

Floods on the Passaic drainage basin have not been so frequent 
nor so destructive hitherto as to warrant careful study with a view 
to either prevention or control, but as property along the banks of 
the stream becomes more valuable for manufacturing and munici- 
pal purposes, and as population increases, the time may soon come 
when it will be necessary to consider seriously the habits of the 
Passaic's flood waters. 

Owing to the great demand already being made upon the basin for 
municipal supply, the future will doubtless see a much better control 
than at present of the river's waters by storage reservoirs. But, 
unless great care is taken to keep the reservoirs low at such times of 
the year as floods are likely to occur, much the same conditions may 
exist in winter seasons as were found during the flood under discus- 
sion. At that time all the lakes and reservoirs on the watershed were 
full, and the surface of the ground was rendered so impervious b} T 
frost that when the excessive precipitation came it literally slid off 
the area and over the reservoirs without check. The discharge tables 
and fluviographs show not only great irregularity in the flow of the 
stream, but the occurrence of freshet waters at almost any time of 
the year. For example, excessive high water occurred in the last 
week of August, 1901, at which time it would have been considered 
unwise to have allowed the supply reservoirs to run low. 

There is one way, however, in which control could probably be had 
over the severest floods likely to occur on the drainage area, namely, 
by the construction of a dam across the Pompton at Mountain View, 
between the eastern extremity of Hook Mountain and the continua- 
tion of the same ridge east of that stream at the above-named place. 
By this means the waters of the Ramapo, Wanaque, and Pequanac 
rivers united in the Pompton, draining approximately one-half the 
total area of the entire catchment basin, could be controlled. The 
value of such a dam for municipal supply has been pointed out by the 
State engineer" and others. It has been estimated that a dam 2,200 
feet long and 57 feet high would flood the flat basin in the neighbor- 
hood of Pompton Plains, well illustrated in PL XI, which includes an 
area of about 18 square miles. It would be practicable to build the 
dam even somewhat higher, and thus secure a greater capacity for 
the reservoir. Such a dam would not only give sufficient storage 
capacity to regulate excessive floods, but would be of great advan- 
tage to those portions of the valley below Paterson, which are threat- 
ened by high waters. It would at the same time relieve the central 
basin by holding back a portion of floods until the waters from the 
remainder of the drainage area, approximately one-half of the total 
area, could escape through the gorge at Little Falls without seriously 
flooding the wet lands above that point. 



"Ann. Rept. New Jersey Geol. Survey, 1894. 



f>4 THE PASSAIC FLOOD OF 1902. 

While ilif construction of such a reservoir is possible from an 
engineering standpoint, as the foundations and other features of the 
dam site arc good, it would involve considerable expense in necessi 
bating a new alignment of portions <>f the two railroads which traverse 
the region, namely, the Boonton Branch of the Delaware, Lacka- 
wanna and Western, and the Greenwood Lake Branch of the Erie, 
and in addit ion the condemnation of a considerable amount of village 
and farm property in and around Pompton Plains. In view of the 
expensive nature of these proceedings, there is slight probability that 
such a dam will ever he built, hut its construction would, with little 
question, forever prevent the danger Of heavy losses at points in the 

lower valley. 

Destructive freshets may, therefore, be expected to occur on the 
watershed at intervals separated by an undetermined number of years, 
which without elaborate and expensive engineering works can hardly 
be fully controlled. 

Although it may be impossible to satisfactorily control the flood 
waters, the danger from injury by them may be much reduced by 
employing some means of systematic warnings of their approach. 

This could be done by establishing gaging stal ions on the 1 ributaries 
near their junct ion witli the main si ream, where daily observations of 
water heights could be taken. In times of excessively high watei 
the conditions at the various stations could then be telephoned to 
some central point, such as the office of the engineer of the Society 
for the Establishment of Useful .Manufactures, who would compare 
the returns from the various tributaries, and if necessary give warn- 
ing to manufacturers and others in thecitiesof Patersonand Passaic 
of the approach of dangerous Hood conditions, thus allowing them 
several hours to remove valuable material from warehouses before 
the water reached the danger point. 



\ h E X 



Page. 
Beattie's dam, flow over, diagram show 

ing in, lo 

plan oi 36 

Si . also I. nt le Palls. 
Hi "■Mini i. measurement station near, view 

of 38 

rise of water at - 'M 

Bockaway River at, view of :Bi 

Carlton Hill, high- water mark al 16 
( Vnt ral basin, area, topography, gei >] 

etc., of 11 L3 

Hat arras in. IS 

Hood losses in. I s 51 

flooded area in, map of In pocket 

view of 12 

II 1 1 -« 1 lands in, view of. 18 

submerged lands in. 12 

Charlotteburg, rami. til at :i:>,:u 

Chatham, rise of water a1 .. - :n 

< Ihester, rainfall at :i:i,:t{ 

Clifton, Passaic Valley at. cross section 

of '.__ u 

Cook, J. H., acknowledgments to ... '.t 
Dela wanna, Passaic Valley at, cross sec 

t ion of 14 

Dover, rainfallat 32,33 

Dundee, Passaic Biver at, flow of . 20 

Dundee dam, description of 35-36 

flood flow at and below - 13 15 

floods at. comparison of 51 
How of Passaic Biver over, diagram 

showing. i:; 13 

gage readings at, diagram of 35 

Length and lioighi of 13 

viewof 30 

Elizabeth, rainfall al - _. '4:i,'Xi 

Fairfield, flooded area near, view of 13 

Flood crest, profile of I'i 

f'l led area, map of In i tel 

viow of 12 

Floods, comparison of 51 

Great falls. SeePassaic falls. 

(treat Pierce Meadows, fl led area on, 

view of. u; 

tin mmi wood Lake, position, area, and alti- 

tudeof li; 

Hanover, rainfall at '■$>.. M 
Highland area, extent, topography, soil. 

etc .of .... in ii 

Highland tributaries, fl l How of 36 39,41 

Little Falls, dam at, description of . 35 

dam at. plan of 36 

view..> in 

fall,.! 12 



Page. 

Little falls, flood How at 39 41 

flow at, diagram showing ... 10,43 

gage readings at, diagram of 35 

gorge at. views of 20,24 

water taken from river at 13 

Losses, enumeration of 48 51 

Lower Valley, area, topography, etc., of. 13-15 

high-water marks in . 16 IV 

Macopin dam, view of 38 

Mahwah, Bamapo Biver at, How of :.''. 

Morris ( 'anal, height of water in feeder of 34 
Morris Canal viaduct, Little falls gorge 

at, viewof... .. 24 

New York City, rainfall at 32,33 

Newark, Passaic Valley at, cross Section 

of... II 

rainfall at 32,33 

Newell, f . H., letter of transmittal by 7 
North Newark, Passaic Valley at, cross 

section of 11 

< )ld Boonton, Bockaway Biver at, How of. 27 

Passaic, bridge at, view of wreck of 50 

high-water mark at 4(1 

1. issi s at 50 

Passaic Bridge, railroad bridge at. view- 
of 9 

Passaic Palls, fall at. 12 

view of 9,16 

Passaic- River, course and character of 17 

drainage area of, map of.. in 

drainage area, length, fall and gradi 

cut of 19 

flowof.. 19 30 

measurement station on. viewof :;i 

profile of 18 

tributaries of , descriptions of l"> 19 

Passaic Valley, cross seel ions of 14 

description of '.i 15 

precipitation in 31-34 

wet lauds in 12 

Paterson, damage at 49 

Passaic Falls at, view of '-Mi; 

Passaic River at, flow of 20 

rainfallat.. 32,33 

Pequanac River, course and character of 16 

dam on, view of - 44 

drainage area Length, fall, and gra 

.Held of lit 

Hood How of :J7,41 

flowof - 27 

profile of IS 

Plainfield, rainfall at~ ~ 32,33 

Pompton, dam on Pequanac Biver near, 

view of 44 



56 



INDEX. 



Page. 
Pompton, gaging stations at, views of 42 

Pequanac River at. flow of 27 

Ramapo River at, fall of 15 

Wanaquo River at, flow of 27 

Pompton Furnace, height of water at 36 

Pompton Lake, falls at 24 

Pompton Plains, Pompton River at, flow 

of 27 

Pompton River, drainage area, length, 

fall, and gradient of 19 

flow of 20,22,24,26,27,29 

Precipitation. Nee Rainfall. 

Rainfall in Passaic Valley 31-34 

Raniapo River, course and character of. 1"> 16 
drainage area, length, fall, and gra- 
dient of 19 

flood flow of :iT.41 

flow of -- - 27 

height of water in :c> 

profile of 18 

Ringwood, rainfall at 32,33 

Rivervale, rainfall at :i:_'.:ti 

Rockaway River, course and character 

of 17 

drainage area, length, fall, and gra- 
dient of _ 19 

flood flow of - 87.41 

flow of - 27 

measurement station on, view of 38 

profile of 18 

rise of 34 

view of 30 

Roseland, rainfall at 32,33 

Rutherford, high- water mark at 46 

Saddle River, course and character of... 15 
drainage area, length, fall, and gra- 
dient of - 19 



Pftgft 

Saddle River, flood flow of 15 Hi 

profile of. L8 

Sherred, M. R., acknowledgments to 9 

Bingac, submerged flat lands at. view of. 44 

Smith Orange, rainfall at 32,33 

Stanley, measurement station at. view of, 34 

Passaic River at. flow of 27 

Two Bridges. Hood at. viewof 46 

Passaic River at. How of 21,23,25 26,28 

Pompt< >n River at. flow of 21 1, 22,24 . 26, 29 

Vermeule.C. C, acknowledgments to 9 

i Hinted on flood of 1SS2 51 

reference to 19 

Wallington, flood at, viewof, SO 

high-water mark at 4ii 

losses at 50 

Wanaque River, course and character of. 16 
drainage area, length, fall, and gra- 

dientof 19 

flood flow of 37.41 

flow of 27 

gaging stations on, views of 42 

Watson, R. M., acknowledgments to 9 

aid by 46 

Water, height of 34 36 

Wet lands, area of... 12 

Whippany, measurement station at, view 

of 34 

Whippany River at, flow of 27 

Whippany River, course and character 

of 17 

drainage area, length, fall, and gra- 
dient of 19 

flood flow of 37.41 

flow of 27 

measurement station on, view of 34 

profile of 18 



o 



LIBRARY CATALOGUE SLIPS. 

[Mount each slip upon a separate card, placing the subject at the top of the 
second slip. The name of the series should not be repeated on the series 
rani, but the additional numbers should l>t j added. as received, to the first 

entry.] 



Hollister, George Buell. 

. . . The Passaic flood of 1902, by George Buell Hol- 
lister and Marshall Ora Leighton. Washington, Gov't 
print, off., 1903. 

56 p., 1 1. 15 pi. (incl. fold, map), 11 Bg. 23f cm . (U. S. Geological 
survey. Water-supply and irrigation paper u<>. 88. 1 

Subject scries M, General hydrographic investigations, »>. 
Map in pocket. 



Hollister, George Buell. 

. . . The Passaic flood of 1902, by George Buell Hol- 
lister and Marshall Ora Leighton. \Yashington, Gov't 
I print, off., 1903. 

* 56 p., 1 1. 15 i-l. (incl. fold, map), 11 tig. 2:U'"'. (V. S. Geological 

survey. Water-supply and irrigation paper no. 88.) 

Subject series M, General hydrographic investigations, 6. 
Map in pocket. 



U. S. Geological survey. 

Water-supply and irrigation papers 
no. S8. Hollister, G. B. The Passaic flood of 1902, by 
G. B. Hollister and M. O. Leighton. 1903. 



U. S. Dept. of the Interior. 

1 see also 

u 
9 

1 U. S. Geological survey. 

irr 88 — 03 5 



■n / 

f / 

fyf *rfc* ■ 









J!..,.- o c k ■ jv 




,'X I'M! I |. 




WATER-SUPPLY PAPER N0.88PI. XI 




I 1 



\ \ - 




,id i Hulk 






TEN ISLAND 



MAP OF FLOODED AREA. IN CENTRAL BASIN, NEW JERSEY 



Series M— General. Hydrographic Investigations. 
[See last page of this cover.] 

Series N— Water Powkk. 

/ 
WS 24. Water resources of the State of New York, Part I, by G. W. Rafter. 1899. 92 pp., 13 pis. 
WS 25. Water resources of the State of New York, Part II, by G. W. Rafter, 100-200 pp., 12 pis. 
WS 41. Profiles of rivers, by Henry Gannett. 1901. 100 pp., 11 pis. 
WS 62. Hydrography of the Southern Appalachian Mountain region, Part I, by H. A. Pressey. 

1902. 95 pp., 25 pis. 
WS 63. Hydrography of the Southern Appalachian Mountain region, Part II, by H. A. Pressey. 

1902. 96-190 pp., 26-44 pis. 
WS 69. Water powers of the State of Maine, by H. A. Pressey. 1902. \3A pp., 11 pis. 

Series O— Underground Watkks. 

WS 4. A reconnoissance in southeastern Washington, by I. C. Russell. 1897. 96 pp., 7 pis. 

WS 6. Underground waters of southwestern Kansas, by Erasmus Haworth. 1897. 65 pp., 12pla. 

WS 7. Seepage waters of northern Utah, by Samuel Fortier. 1897. 50 pp., 3 pis. 

WS 12. Underground waters of southeastern Nebraska, by N. H. Darton. 1898. 56 pp., 21 pis. 

WS 21. Wells of northern Indiana, by Frank Leverett. 1899. 82 pp., 2 pis. 

WS 26. Wells of sotithern Indiana (continuation of No. 21), by Frank Leverett. 1899. 64 pp. 

WS 30. Water resources of the lower peninsula of Michigan, by A. C. Lane. 1899. 97 pp., 7 pis. 

WS 31. Lower Michigan mineral waters, by A. C. Lane. 1899. 97 pp., 4 pis. 

WS 34. Geology and water resources of a portion of southeastern South Dakota, by J. K. 

Todd. 1900. 34 pp., 19 pis. 
WS 63. Geology and water resources of Nez Perces County, Idaho, Part I, by I. C. Russell. 

1901. 86 pp., 10 pis. 
WS 54. Geology and water resources of Nez Perces County, Idaho, Part II, by I. C. Russell. 

1901. 87-141 pp. 
WS 55. Geology and water resources of a portion of Yakima County, Wash., by O. O. Smith. 

1901. 68 pp., 7 pis. 

WS 57. Preliminary list of deep borings in the United States, Part I, by N. H. Darton. 1902. 

60 pp. 
WS 59. Development and application of water in southern California, Part I, by J. B. Lippin- 

cott. 1902. 95 pp., 11 pis. 
WS 60. Development and application of water in southern California, Part II, by J. B. Lippin- 

cott. 1902. 96-140 pp. 
WS 61. Preliminary list of deep borings in the United States. Part II, by N. H. Darton. 1903. 

67 pp. 
WS 67. The motions of underground waters, by C. S. Slichter. 1902. 106 pp., 8 pis. 
B 199. Geology and water resources of the Snake River Plains of Idaho, by I. C. Russell. 

1902. 192 pp., 25 pis. 

WS 77. Water resources of Molokai, Hawaiian Islands, by Waldemar Lindgren. 1903. 62 pp., 

4 pis. 
WS 78. Preliminary report on artesian basins in southwestern Idaho and southeastern Oregon, 

by I. C. Russell. 1903. 52 pp., 2 pis. 
The following papers also relate to this subject: Underground waters of Arkansas Valley in 
eastern Colorado, by G. K. Gilbert, in Seventeenth Annual, Part II: Preliminary report on arte- 
sian waters of a portion of the Dakotas, by N. H. Darton, in Seventeenth Annual, Part II; Water 
resources of Illinois, by Frank Leverett, in Seventeenth Annual, Part II; Water resources of 
Indiana and Ohio, by Frank Leverett, in Eighteenth Annual, Part IV; New developments in 
well boring and irrigation in eastern South Dakota, by N. H. Darton, in Eighteenth Annual, 
Part IV; Rock waters of Ohio, by Edward Orton, in Nineteenth Annual. Part IV; Artesian well 
prospects in the Atlantic Coastal Plain region, by N. H. Darton. Bulletin No. 138. 

Series P— Hydrographic Progress Rkpohts. 

Progress reports may be found in the following publications: For 1888-89, Tenth Annual, 
Partn; for 1889-90, Eleventh Annual, Part II; for 1890-91, Twelfth Annual, Part II; for 1891-92, 
Thirteenth Annual, Part in; for 1893 and 1894, Bulletin No.131 ; for 1896, Bulletin No. 140; for 1896, 
Eighteenth Annual, Part IV, WS 11; for 1897, Nineteenth Annual, Part IV, WS 15, 16; for 1898, 
Twentieth Annual, Part IV, WS 27, 28: for 1899, Twenty-first Annual, Part IV, WS 35-39; for 
1900, Twenty-second Annual, Part IV, WS 47-52; for 1901, WS 65, 66, 75; for 1902, WS 82-85. 

IRR 88—3 



T 



PAPERS RELATING ESPECIALLY TO GENERAL 1IYDROGRAPHIC 
INVESTIGATIONS. 

Series M— General Hydrographic Investigations. 

WS 56. Methods of stream measurement. 1901. 51pp., 13 pis. 

WS 64. Accuracy of stream measurements, by E. C. Murphy. 1902. 99 pp., 4 pis. 

WS 76. Observations on the flow of rivers in the vicinity of New York City, by H. A. Press 

1903. 108 pp., 13 pis. 
WS 80. The relation of rainfall to run-off, by G. W. Rafter. 1903. 104 pp. 
WS 81. California hydrography, by J. B. Lippincott. 1903, 488 pp., 1 pi. 
WS 88. The Passaic flood of 1902, by G. B. Hollister and M. O. Leighton. — pp., 15 pis. 

Correspondence should be addressed to 

The Director, 

United States Geological Survey. 

Washington, D. C 

irr 88—4 



L. C. Bindery 



